How I Met the Cat
by loba de luna667
Summary: Luna and Ryan have been living alone for the past two years. Times have been tough, but peaceful for the most part since the night their parents were killed. Then along came a cat...TrainxOC I do not own Papa's restaurant or the characters from Black Cat.
1. Chapter 1

How I Met the Cat

"Train we're here."

"Mmm-mmm..." Train groaned as he stretched himself awake. "That was a good nap," he said cheerily.

"Lazy cat," Eve commented in the backseat. "Hey, unlike you I take my sleep seriously," Train retorted, pouting at the girl's judgement. He glanced outside his car window. "Where are we Sven?"

Sven looked at him, exasperated with Train's carefree attitude. "For the third time, we're in Houston, Texas. Our latest target seems to be heading somewhere downtown."

"Yes!" Train cheered in delight at this. "What are you so happy about?" Sven asked. "We're in Texas! I'm gonna buy some fresh milk first thing." Both Eve and Sven sweat dropped. "Train," Sven started slowly. "Didn't you just look outside the window? We're in the middle of _Downtown _Houston. There isn't a cow around here for a good thirty miles." He turned back to focus more on driving. "If there's anything special about this place, it's its crime rates. Half the homicides in the U.S. Come from around Houston."

Train, now fully aware of what was going on, had a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well then, this will certainly be an interesting visit, won't it?"

The Next Day, About 10 Miles Away

"Awww, come on Luna. Can't you take me with you this once?" Ryan whined.

"For the last time, Ryan," I called passed the closet door. "I'm leaving you at Nathan's place while I'm at work today. Got it? It's too dangerous for you around that part of the city. You know that." I said as I changed into my work uniform. "Besides, the manager doesn't like it when I take you with me. You cause too much trouble in the kitchen."

"I only made one small explosion!" he protested. "How was I supposed to know that was cooking wine? It looked just like the balsamic vinegar bottle." "The sprinkler system soaked everything! It took me a full week to dry all the carpets 'cuz of you." He was quiet for a minute, thinking of something else he could use to try and convince me. "Then...I can stay in the customer area," he said. "The customers love me there."

I opened the door of the closet and stepped out in my cook's outfit. I was trying to check my jet-black hair in the mirror when my brother side-stepped in front of me, blocking my view. He got on his knees and put his hands together as he begged, "Please take me with you? Nathan's apartment stinks! At least have some mercy on my nose, Sis. PLEEAASE." I sighed as I straightened the ribbon at the end of my braid. "Really, it's hard to believe you're sixteen the way you're acting." Though, he was right about the neighbor's apartment stinking...

I looked down at him. "What's so great about going with me anyway? Papa's isn't exactly the funnest place on Earth." "It's better than staying next door," he answered. "And, wouldn't – " He stopped before finishing his sentence with a guilty look on his face. "Wouldn't...wouldn't Mom and Dad want us to stick together, too?" I stiffened at that. His trump card. We both knew I would cave whenever he mentioned our parents. Finally I gave in. "Okay...you can come with me," I said. He smiled, though he still looked a little guilty for what he said."Thanks, Sis." I ruffled his hair to lighten the mood. "Don't worry 'bout it. You're right; Mom and Dad would want me to take you." Then I grabbed my keys from off the side table and headed for the door. "Now come on. I'm gonna be late if we don't hurry up."

Ryan grabbed his duffel backpack, and we hurried down the stairwell of our our apartment building. Ryan and I lived on the third floor, so we reached the parking lot pretty quickly. Ryan took shotgun while I got into the driver's seat. We pulled the sun visor out from behind the windshield and tossed in the back. Then I started the engine. "Remember. No funny business at work, got it?" "Got it," he replied, smiling. Somehow, his answer wasn't as reassuring as I'd hoped. We drove out of the parking lot and into the busy streets of downtown. I concentrated on navigating past the crowds and lines of parked cars. But thanks to the blessing of side-streets and shortcuts we reached Papa's in a matter of minutes. I checked the clock inside the car. 5:55. Five minutes early. I raised a fist in victory. "New record timing!" I cheered. Ryan smirked when he saw what I meant. "You know what that means," he said. I didn't even need to ask. Our eyes flashed with determination as we stared each other down. "Challenge accepted." I killed the engine and opened my car door. Ryan was already out and tightening the straps of his backpack. We got into our starting positions in front of the car. I started the countdown. "3...," "2...," "1...," "GO!" We both shouted as we raced off in the direction of the back entrance. I jumped over the plastic bags that drifted around, while Ryan dodged the trash people left in the lot. I'd made it a habit to park in the very back of the parking lot whenever Ryan came with me so we could race just like this. And who could blame me? Racing my brother was one of the few things I had to look forward to in my busy schedule since we started living on our own.

We were both in the last stretch of the race, neck and neck, just a few yards from the finish line. I reached my hand out to try and grab for the door handle but at the last second, Ryan gave a last burst of speed, and..."I win!" He was grinning triumphantly. I slowed down as I caught up with him, laughing and giddy from the short thrill of the moment. "So that makes 10 wins for me," he counted. "And 12 for me," I finished with crooked smile on my face. "You're catching up Li'l Bro'." "Maybe you're just slowing down," he teased. I laughed at that. Unlike most people, I could take a joke at my expense. Plus, I was glad to see him this happy. It'd been hard on both of us since we moved out of our family's house.

I turned around before we went inside. I wanted to double check the parking lot to see how busy it'd be inside today. My spirits dimmed as I saw the rows and rows of cars that filled the parking lot. "Hey Luna, hurry up!" Ryan called behind me. "I can smell Sarah's mud pie from out here." I turned back towards the door. "I'm right behind you," I said, hiding the worry behind a cheery smile. "Let's go." _God, it's gonna be a long night, _I thought in the back of my head.

I had no idea how right I was.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Black Cat nor do I own Papa's restaurant.

A/N: Heads up to any readers: This chapter is long (and boring according to my sister...-_-;). I don't know if my next ones will be too, but I still hope you enjoy. I've got a bunch of ideas for the plot...^_^ I like writing them out, even if they're long.

Chapter 2

Inside the Restaurant, Around 7:25 P.M.

Train pulled at the collar of his dress shirt. "Did we really have to dress up like _this_, Sven?" he whispered desperately to his companion.

"Of course, we did. This isn't exactly exactly as casual the bars we hit usually hit."

"But these clothes are so _stiff._" Train continued pulling at his collar, looking much like a cat suffering inside a ridiculous costume. "Quiet down," Sven said. "You're complaining more than Eve is."

The Little Princess looked up at Sven from across their table, her blue dress sparkling at the slight movement. "When is the target supposed to arrive?" she asked. Sven checked his watch. "He should be arriving in a few minutes. From the info we got, he's supposed to be celebrating his birthday here." Eve looked a bit perplexed. "Out in the open?" "Sometimes, Princess, when a thief's gotten too self-confident, he lets out a little hot air by prancing around like no one's watching," Train explained. "Times like these are the perfect opportunities for us sweepers." He finished his sentence with a smirk, looking too self-confident himself. "Though chasing this guy should be fun, since he's supposed to be a pro at getting away."

Just then, the trio heard what sounded like a cross between thunder and an earthquake. Sven and Eve looked around, wide-eyed. "What the Hell was that?" "Ummmm..." The two turned in Train's direction. Train chuckled nervously. "What do you expect, Sven? Can we pleeeaase order something while we're here? Whatever they're cooking smells delicious!" Sven's face darkened. "We won't be able to pay for anything else if we let you start ordering from the menu. We've already spent a fortune just at the fast food restaurants." Eve agreed. "We don't want to get as deep in debt as we were before." Both Sven and Eve shuddered at the memory.

"Are you guys sure you're not gonna order anything?"

They all jumped in surprise at the voice. Turning, they found a teenage boy with blonde hair and green eyes standing behind them.

Ryan's POV

Luna was right about Papa's not being the funnest place on Earth. I know I was the one who wanted to go, but I guess I underestimated the powers of boredom. At least in the kitchen, I could experiment with all the ingredients. You'd be surprised what vegetables are capable of. But since my last experiment went wrong due to a small mix up...Well, let's just say I'm not welcome there anymore. Luckily for me, there's always the occasional character that comes in to make the day worthwhile. Just when I was considering experimenting with a spoon, a napkin, and a nearby electrical socket, I heard what sounded like a rock slide from a table a few places from my booth. The clinking of glasses and metal paused throughout the room. More than one head turned in the room since a stomach _that_ loud wasn't common around here. At least not here in the reserved area.

Everyone soon lost interest and returned to their conversations and eating. I hadn't though. It turned out the sound was coming a goofy brown-haired guy's stomach. I tried not to laugh out loud when his friends looked at him and sweat dropped. There was another guy there with spiky green hair, a hat and matching suit, and an eye patch. I remembered noticing him at the entrance before. I'd been wondering why he didn't take his hat off when he walked in. Across from him sat a girl with blonde hair, up until her chin. She was in a long, royal blue dress with black sequins decorating the neck. She was...it's hard to describe.

Even though she looked about my age, she had this really serious aura about her. She looked at things like someone much older than herself would. She observed everything around her, studying minute details most people wouldn't care to pay attention to. The way she held herself was the same. She had perfect posture, a straight back and poised hands, no elbows on the table. A fine young lady by all means. Though, it was clear that she was a bit annoyed by the way the Brown-haired guy was acting.

I overheard him complaining about not ordering anything. Really, it was hard not to, what with the way he was whining so much. Did the girl say they were waiting for someone? I took it as the perfect chance to get someone to try my sister's appetizers. The more people that liked her food, the more likely she'd get a promotion. If you ask me, she deserved it a long time ago, but not everyone sees things my way.

I was willing to do just about anything to help Loons out. She wouldn't let on about it, but I could tell she was going through a lot of trouble taking care of the both of us. I didn't take much time to think about what I was doing as I got up from my seat. I guess that's why my sister kept reminding me not to bug the customers too much. I had a bad habit of acting on my impulses without thinking it through. But I figured they wouldn't mind talking to me. They seemed really interesting, not like all the other snooty rich kids that ate on this side of the restaurant or the loud, rowdier bunch that were out in the main area. I walked over to their table.

"You sure you're not gonna order anything?" I guessed they didn't hear me walk over from the way they all jumped at the sound of my voice. "Sorry if I startled you guys," I apologized. "I think I heard you say you were waiting for someone to arrive. The appetizers here are pretty good, though. My favorite's the shrimp and coconut sauce." The three of them just looked at me, still surprised by my sudden appearance. Then, Eye-patch guy spoke up. "Thank you for the suggestion, but we're pretty sure." He seemed kind of suspicious of me when he asked, "Do you work here?"

"No, sir," I replied, trying to be a bit more polite. "I just like to hang out here a lot." I didn't realize how strange that sounded until it came out of my mouth. Brown-hair guy said something this time. "You sure do. Haven't you been sitting at that booth over there for a while now?" _Yikes._ These guys were really sharp, and I was pretty sure some malice was lingering in their voices with the suspicion. I put a hand behind my head, a habit I picked up when I got nervous. I tried to shrug off the feeling. "Alright, you caught me. My name's Ryan Daniels. My sister, Luna, works here as a cook. I was hoping you'd try some of her food so she could get a few compliments on her food or something." I made sure to look them in the eye to prove I wasn't hiding anything. Now that I think about it, anybody would at least, be wary if some random guy walked up to them and interrupted their conversation. Especially if the random guy was hanging around in an empty booth nearby. I explained why I'd been sitting there for so long. "I usually sit on this side of the restaurant when I want to take a break from the noise up front." _And when I'm banned from the kitchen._

They seemed to settle down once they heard that. Eye-Patch Guy nodded. "Yeah it does get pretty crowded in there. Sorry getting you nervous." He extended his right hand towards me. I took it and shook."No problem, Mr..." "Sven Vollfied. Though I'd rather you just call me Sven." I raised my eyebrows. _Interesting name._ "No problem, Sven." He smiled warmly. "It's nice what you're doing for your sister. But, I don't think other customers here would take your suggestions too kindly." He indicated towards the other people in the room. "Yeah I know. Luna always tells me I need to 'think before I act.' And not to bug the customers."

"Don't worry you're not bugging us," Brown-hair guy said, grinning cheekily. "In fact, how about we order that shrimp he was just talking abou– OW!" We heard a loud thud from under the table from what I guessed was the girl kicking his shin. _Ouch..._

"Train, it would be rude to order before our friend came," she said softly. "Got it, Little Princess," Train winced. I glanced over at the girl. "That nickname suits you. You're cute and ladylike, just like the Little Princess," I thought out loud_._ Again, my impulsiveness had taken over._ Dammit. I shouldn't have __said that._ I thought the Little Princess seemed to be glaring at me. Really, her face was simply expressionless but I was too nervous to think nothing but the worst. "S-S-sorry, that was too familiar for me to say..." I started running my fingers through my hair. Brown-hair guy, I mean Train, started laughing. "Looks like we better watch out for Eve, huh Sven? Her cute looks seem to be attracting attention now." "Don't worry, " Sven replied. " I don't plan on letting any creeps get a hold of our Little Princess." By then I was trying to sputter out another apology, but I was too red and embarrassed to get anything straight. The Little Princess seemed to blush a small bit too at Train's comment. "I-I don't plan on doing anything to her. I just thought she looks pretty. I mean... I'm not like those creeps on the street that just walk up... I mean." I was sinking myself deeper and deeper in hot water.

Now Sven was laughing. "We were just teasing you, kid. Even the best of us get our tongues tied in front of a pretty lady." Then his mood changed completely as his face suddenly darkened. "But, just as a warning, don't get any ideas. Understand?" "Y-yes sir," I squeaked. Eve interrupted."Sven, I think our friend is arriving soon." She looked me straight in the eye with a now unmistakably icy glare. " I think you better leave, Ryan." _So cold._

I took the subtle-as-a-gun hint and turned towards my booth. "I don't mean to be a burden when your guest comes. I'll take your advice and leave. Ummm...It was nice meeting you." I couldn't walk away from the mess I'd made fast enough.

Back with the Trio

Train watched as the boy walked off. Ryan gave off the aura of someone who'd just been beaten. Badly. "Poor kid. And he seemed really interesting, too." Train looked over at the Little Princess. "That was a bit harsh, don't you think." "He was being too carefree for his own good," she replied. "Besides, someone just entered this side of the restaurant while Ryan was rambling." Train smirked. "I noticed the minute he walked in. He only brought two bodyguards with him. He must be feeling really cocky tonight."

"There's no doubt it's him," Sven said as he leaned back into his chair. "He matches the poster perfectly. And don't underestimate him. Proud as he is, they all probably have hidden weapons on them."

"Are we going to lead them away from here?" Eve asked, remembering all the people she'd seen when they were passing the main area. "We'll try," Sven replied. "Train, don't– " he started, when he realized Train had already disappeared. "Don't do anything rash!" he whispered desperately after his friend.

Amber eyes glowing, Train walked over to the table where the infamous Sharks sat. He smiles at his prey charmingly. "Have you tried the shrimp and coconut sauce here? I've heard it tastes great." The newly arrived customers looked up at Train, surprised. "Why yes, actually. It happens to be my favorite appetizer," replied the shortest of the three men. His companions frowned at the interruption. Train's smile turned crooked. "That's good." He pulled Hades out from its hiding place and pointed the gun's barrel at the man's head. "Since you've enjoyed it already, there's no shame in having you arrested." There was a flash of silver as Train dodged the assassin's dagger. The table flipped in the process and the crash of plates and glasses falling to the ground could be heard throughout the room.

In the Kitchen

"Luna get out here, quick!" a waitress shouted in a shrill voice as she ran into the kitchen. _Shit, that's never good,_ I thought as I passed the pan I'd been frying in to Sarah. I threw my hat onto a shelf and ran past the other cooks. Whenever one of the waiters shouted like that, there was no doubt about it; I needed to break up a fight. I grabbed my trusty, though well-dented saucepan on my way over to the door. Diane was standing there waiting for me, her red hair a strewn in every direction. "Where is it this time?" I asked, my hand already against the door. "There isn't another hobo out front, is there?" Diane looked at me, panic in her voice. I hadn't noticed until then that she was trembling. "It's not like that, this time. In the Reserved Area...one of them has a gun."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Black Cat or Pappa's restaurant, especially since I've been spelling the restaurant's name his whole time...^_^

Chapter 3

"It's not like that, this time. In the Reserved Area...one of them has a gun."

My eyes widened in shock as Diane's words sunk in. There was never, NEVER, a fight in there. All the stuck up customers ate there. And there was a gun involved. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a dark memory resurfaced. _BAM! "Dad what was that sound?" A woman's body lay on the floor in front of the door, blood pooling around her. _

I didn't waste a second. "Call the police," I instructed her. "Don't let anyone leave this room." I ran out the door towards where the fight was. Even if I couldn't break it up, I was not going to letting anyone lay a hand on my brother.

When I entered the room, I was greeted with breaking glass and flying knives. I ducked as a poorly aimed one sped in my direction. The knife stuck deep into the door. A guy with brown hair shouted my way, "Stay down!" "That's a bit late isn't it?" I shouted back at him. But I took his advice and stayed close to the ground as I scanned the room for Ryan. _Where is he?Where is he?Where is he? _I couldn't find him anywhere. I was ready to risk the crossfire when a gun fired. I froze at the all too familiar sound as silence filled the room. My heart stopped when I found out who shot the gun.

In the center of the room, a short, burly man stood with Ryan's neck locked in his free arm. The man held his gun's gleaming silver barrel against my brother's forehead. "If anyone moves, this kid gets it. Ya' hear?"

I tightened my grip on my lucky saucepan. Ryan had to get out of that man's grasp somehow. If there was a way to distract him for one second, ONE SECOND, that would be all he'd need to move.

Another voice broke the silence. "He doesn't have anything to do with this." It was the guy who'd warned me before. The expression on his face was angry but focused. Tense, wary, pensive. Like he was trying to figure out how to end this without anyone getting hurt.

I examined the rest of the room. Ryan stood hostage at the very center of the room, while I was lying flat on the ground in the far left corner. All the way to my right stood a man in front of the emergency exit, clearly the gunman's accomplice. A few feet in front of him was another man, clad in an off-white suit and hat, who looked really _really_ pissed off at these guys. There was movement somewhere between me and the accomplice, hidden in the shadows against the wall. But anything that could knock out or distract Ryan's kidnapper was either broken or too far away. And even if I could reach them, nothing was faster than a gunshot in there.

Then, miracle of miracles, something (a giant fist?) shot out from the shadows and hit the gunman in the back. Everyone took that as their cue to move. While Ryan got out from under the guy's arm, I ran in his direction, saucepan in hand. Out of the corner of my eye, the man in the hat swung forward an attache' case and out of it shot a net that wrapped itself around the accomplice. Meanwhile, I took care of the gunman. I swung the saucepan with dead aim at his forehead. One hit and he was out cold. I sighed in relief. Ryan was safe and the other guy was taken care of.

Then another gun fired.

I turned my head frantically, looking for who else I needed to knock out. To my left stood the brown-haired guy with a _huge _gun in his hand, its barrel still smoking. Any trust I had in the guy flew out the window once I saw his weapon. Instinctively, I aimed my saucepan at his head and pitched it in his direction. I didn't plan on risking anyone else's safety. To my delight, it hit him square in the back of his head just when he was about to turn around. KO!

Ryan, however, wasn't so thrilled. "Luna, what the hell did you do?" I looked at him confused. "What do you mean 'What the hell did I do?' He had a gun!" "Yeah, but he just saved your dumb-ass!" He pointed to the front of the room. To the right lay a man, still twitching, face down on the carpet. His right hand was still up holding a knife, his arm poised to throw it in my direction. I looked back at the guy I'd just hit, lying on the ground next to my saucepan. "Oh..."

A couple hours later

The police came right after I put my apparent savior to sleep. They were ready to interview all the witnesses and the restaurant staff when the guy in the suit and hat showed them some kind of license. After that, they were pretty much hands off about the whole situation. They just wrote down what the guy said happened, looked at his license and two others that he passed to them and told him to meet them at the station for reward money. Then, the officers took the gunman, the knife thrower, and the accomplice and shipped them off to jail, no questions asked. Then Ryan introduced me to the group that had saved our lives. How he met them in the first place, I decided to ask later. Suit guy, who apparently, also wore an eye patch, was named Sven. The person that had been against the wall was Eve, a blonde haired girl about Ryan's age. And last but not least was Train, the man I'd left unconscious on the floor with a lump the size of Vermont growing where I'd hit him. We tried putting an ice pack on it from the kitchen, but it didn't seem to help much.

As an apology and a show of thanks, I offered to leave work early and drive Train and Eve back to their hotel while Sven went to the police station. And so Ryan, me, Eve and Train piled into my car, I with the name and address of the hotel written on a piece of paper. The four of us rode in silence, partly because sleeping Train didn't have much to say and mostly because Ryan and I didn't know _what_ to say. I still needed to give them a proper 'Thank you' and 'Sorry', both for obvious reasons. But at the same time, I wanted to ask why the hell the fight started. As for Ryan,I had no idea why was keeping quiet. He was the chatterbox of the family and never had trouble saying what was on his mind.

I couldn't take the awkward silence much longer, so I decided to try and say something. "Ummm...Sorry about hitting your friend so hard," I started awkwardly. "I got kinda carried away with...knocking gunman out, I guess." Eve smile kindly. "Don't worry about it. You were only trying to protect your brother. Train had it coming to him anyway." I disregarded whatever the last part meant. It didn't sound like any of my business. "I still have to thank him when he wakes up. I can't thank all of you enough really." I paused to maneuver through one of the crazier intersections of the city. "Ryan and I both owe you our lives. Isn't that right, Ryan?" I nudged him to get him to join the conversation. Even if he wanted to be silent, he should at least be polite. "Yeah, umm...thanks for saving me back there." He fell back into his silent state. _What's with him?_

"Sooo...what exactly started the fight?" I was trying to keep the conversation from dying, and like I said, I was curious. Eve didn't speak for a moment before answering. "We're sweepers. The men that Sven turned in were our latest targets." "Sweepers?" I hadn't heard the term before. "You mean like, bounty hunters?" "In a way, yes." Now Ryan's curiosity was piqued. "So those guys back there were wanted? I don't remember seeing any of their faces on the news or in the papers, or...anywhere really." Eve glanced at Ryan with a bit of annoyance. "They've never had victims in this area, so few people here would know they were criminals. Those men were assassins wanted by the IBI, a group that called themselves 'the Sharks'. Their last job was in Buenos Airres, down in Argentina." Once she started, there was no stop to the information she gave.

"They often come to their HQ in Houston after a hit. Sven and Train got a tip-off that today was the head's birthday and they were going to celebrate it at your workplace since he happens to love Papa's food. The man with the knives was Morris, is known to be responsible for the death of fifteen men in three different countries. The man Sven caught was Alfonse, a notorious thief with a reputation for being able to drive himself out of any situation. He once raced professionally, but had himself disqualified when the judges learned he was using an illegal fuel. The man who'd tried to shoot Ryan was the head of the Sharks, Hubaldus. He was the most infamous of the three, having killed his wife and all his in-laws. He escaped an asylum in Italy last year, right before he founded the the Sharks. "

Ryan gave a low whistle. "You guys don't skimp on details do ya'?" I was simply stunned. I wasn't sure which was more surprising – the fact that I'd been cooking for wanted assassins or that she knew so much about those guys. But once I thought about it, it made sense they had that much information. In their line of work, they needed to be prepared for anything.

I was about to ask another question, but when I opened my mouth, we all heard a loud BEEP! BEEEP! I swerved the car to the right to get out of the way of some idiot on the road. The car narrowly missed my side view mirror as it flew past. "What kind of fuckin' idiot drives that fast? We're in the middle of Downtown for crying out loud!" I had a bad habit of cussing when I was frustrated or pissed off on the road, so I didn't realize what I'd said until I saw Eve's astounded face. "Oh,...Sorry," I mumbled. My face started turning a little pink. Just then, someone else in the back groaned. "You guys are too noisy," he mumbled.

Through the rear-view mirror, I looked at Train as he slowly sat himself up. He glanced around the car until his eyes focused on the driver's seat. "Where's Sven?" "He's at the police station," Eve answered. "How's your head feel?" I asked him. He reached his hand up to touch the welt I'd made. "Like someone cracked it open." Ryan chuckled nervously. "You're not too far off." "You have no idea how sorry I am for knocking you out like that," I finally apologized to him. It took Train a moment to orient himself and recall what had happened. "It's okay, I guess. Why exactly did you hit me with your pot?" I sweat dropped as I repeated my ridiculous explanation. "I...was caught up in knocking out gunmen?" It came out sounding more like a question since I wasn't even sure myself if that was a good enough reason.

"You were asking for it, though, the way you walked up to them like that," Eve scolded him. "Sven was about to explain his plan before you left." Suddenly, Train's mood changed completely. "Princess, you don't even feel an ounce of pity for me?" he whined, sounding like a little kid. "What's there to pity?" she answered coldly. "I was still able to stop them, wasn't I?" "And risk getting someone else hurt!" she all but shouted as she stabbed a finger in our direction. "You could have gotten someone killed!" Train was silent for a moment at that. Then, he turned to face us with a warm, though apologetic smile.

"She's right about that. Sorry for getting you mixed up in that mess." He seemed sincere, and neither Ryan nor I had known until then that the whole ordeal was his fault in the first place. Even so, he didn't point a gun at one of our heads or try to throw a dagger at us. "It's okay," we replied simultaneously. "We're even after Luna hit you with her 'lucky saucepan'," Ryan added.

Train looked back at me."So you're the famous Luna Ryan's been talking about. I here you can cook a tasty shrimp and coconut dish." I side glanced Ryan. "You were advertising my cooking?" Ryan started turning a little pink at the confrontation.. "Well..." "That's the whole reason he came up to us, actually," Train added. "He said he wanted your manager to hear compliments about your food." _That explains how he met these guys._

I was a bit surprised. Ryan wasn't much for flattering his older sister, let alone my cooking. "Is that so...?" Ryan's cheeks began turning darker. "I was trying to help you out at work, is all," he mumbled. I smiled at how embarrassed he was getting over this. "Awww, you're so cute when you blush like that." Train laughed. "You do that easily, don't ya'?" I caught my brother stealing a panicked glanceat Eve. _And there's why he suddenly went mute. _

As fun as it was to tease my little brother, I decided not to point out Ryan's little crush on Eve right then and there. That would simply be too cruel. I gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder and laughed. "All right, no more teasing. There's no shame in saying something nice about me once in a while, ya' know...Thanks." I mussed up his curly blonde hair for the second time that day. "I need as much help as I can get." Ryan's face began turning back to normal. "No problem, Loons."

"So, are we going back to the hotel?" Train asked. "Pretty much," I replied. "We should be there any minute now." I knew Downtown like the back of my hand. The hotel wasn't really that far from Papa's, but the city was almost always crowded with bad drivers and angry pedestrians. The traffic that day was especially bad what with all the commotion back at work. I checked the clock as we parked in front of the lobby of the Traveler's Palace. 9:00 P.M. It had taken us a good thirty minutes to drive, what, 10 miles? But the traffic would probably clear up by the time we needed to get home. No one wants to be out late around here.

"You guys go to your room already. I'll come up after a minute or so." "Okay!" Train quickly agreed. Before I could say anything back, he bolted out of the car, into the hotel. "What's the rush?" Ryan asked. Eve just shook her head as she watched Train run off. "Him and his stomach...," she mumbled, exasperated. She walked after Train out of the car. Once she was out of earshot, I whispered into Ryan's ear, "You're not gonna walk your girlfriend up to her room?" Ryan sat straight up and turned to face me ( again with the blushing). "I thought you were done teasing me? And no, she's _not _my girlfriend." he said quickly. I raised my hands in front of me. "Okay, okay. Whatever you say chief." I shifted gears back into drive. "But if you need help with your crush, I'm right here." Ryan didn't say anything as we drove around back.

We parked on the 3rd level of the parking garage. Which was no surprise since it was the beginning of spring break and everyone was probably coming back this late from touring the city. I tried to get Ryan to cheer up a bit. An apology wouldn't work at this point so I tried pointing out all the license plates we passed as we walked through the garage, like we used to on road trips. " Hey, look. Someone's here from Michigan. And there's a car from Illinois and Arizona and..." Ryan looked up a bit. "There's a car over here from Toronto,"he said. He smirked. "I won the contest again." I laughed, "Yeah, I guess there can't be a car from farther than Toronto." Ryan was smiling again, relieved that I really was done teasing him. He looked at a car that was parked next to the elevator down. "This one's from Nevada." I couldn't help but start the line. "What goes in Vegas," "Stays in Vegas, baby," he finished, making a Presley pose with both hands pointing out as he winked. Then we both busted out laughing. "Remember when we went to Chicago?" he asked. "And visited that upside-down house?" I grimaced at that memory. "You mean the one where I threw up in the rotating hallway?" He laughed again. We continued our reminiscing until we got to the lobby. And realized what we'd forgotten.

"Luna, did you remember to ask them for their room number?"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Black Cat

A/N: Pleas bear with me on this one. Not much happens in this chapter, but there are important details about the characters. I do not know when I will post up my next chapter after today. I must say farewell to winter break...:'( I will try to post as soon as I can.

Chapter 4

"Luna, do you remember their room number?" "I thought you knew it," I told him. Ryan turned to look at me. "How am I supposed to know it? I never asked them."

"But, I thought you talked to them before."

"It's not like I ask random tourists where they're staying. If you didn't know their room number, you should have gone up with them."

"I needed to park the car," I defended myself. "You were the one too embarrassed to follow them!"

Our voices grew louder in the hotel as the fighting escalated. Just when I was about to call Ryan something a proper lady wouldn't even dream of saying, let alone shout, a man's voice came from behind us. "What's with all the yelling?"

We both turned our heads to find Sven holding a couple of bags. Then we realized how loudly we'd been arguing. Everyone in the hotel lobby was still staring at us as we stood there in the center of the room. "Hey, Sven!" Ryan greeted him awkwardly, feeling all the eyes staring at the back of his head. "We..didn't notice we were shouting so loudly." "I can see _that_," Sven replied. "But _what _ are you shouting about?" He looked in my direction for an answer. "Well...I forgot to ask Train and Eve what your room number was," I explained. I glared at Ryan, "Though _Ryan_ could have just gone up with them and told me the number on my phone." Ryan raised his hands in front of him. "Don't pin this one on me, Sis. This was all you."

"Well if you both _stopped arguing_," Sven cut in. "You could follow me up. And Ryan.." Sven swung one of the grocery bags towards Ryan. "Could you help me with this?" "Sure." Ryan took the bag offered to him, and Sven led us to the elevator. It was already open for a man who was also heading up.

We all filed in and Sven pressed the 7 button inside. "The room number is 787," Sven told us. "All the numbers below that were booked." "I guess this place gets pretty crowded during Spring Break," I commented. As if on cue, the elevator stopped at the second floor and opened to a group of 8 people, some in swimsuits and others in gym clothes. I guessed there was some kind of indoor pool or gym around here. They all crowded in, and we soon stood inside the elevator in silence. Throughout the ride up, though, it felt like someone inside was watching me. I glanced around, but didn't catch anyone looking in my direction. All I could see were a family in their swim clothes and some college guys in their gym clothes.

When we finally reached our floor, Sven asked, "So why are you coming up here? From the sounds of things, Train's already out and about." He gave us a curious look as he said this. "It was my idea," I said. Ryan nodded. "While you were busy with the police, I mentioned to Luna that you guys didn't even get to eat anything because of what happened." "So I decided to treat you to a home-cooked meal instead." Sven was surprised, but he smiled all the same. "Well, thank you. It'll help us save money on eating costs." "You're very welcome," I replied grinning myself.

We got to their room and a giant black blur tackled Sven once he opened the door. "SVEEEEEN!" cheered a very noisy Train. He held onto Sven like his life depended on it. "I'm so happy to see–!" "No food if you don't get off me right now," Sven deadpanned before Train could even finish his sentence. At that, Train dropped like a stone. "Does he always act like that?" Ryan asked. Sven sighed. "For the most part, yeah." I couldn't imagine what it'd be like living with someone like that. And I thought Ryan was immature. "Must be tiresome."

The room was a small, quaint suite. The door opened to the bedroom. To the left, there was a built in closet and the wall to the right of the door bordered the kitchen area. Eve was sitting on one of the beds that sat in front of the kitchen, watching NOVA on the TV. She turned to look at us when we walked in."Hey, Sven." She saw the bags he and Ryan were carrying. "What did you bring?" "Just some groceries," he said, putting the groceries on the counter next to the stove. Ryan followed suit. At the far side of the room were a couple of chairs and a small table sitting next to a window facing the city. I walked over to sit in one of the chairs and Ryan put the duffel bag he brought on the table. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought the city view would be beautiful in the morning. But if you live in Downtown Houston, you know that the only time the view is amazing is at night, when all the cracks and trash on the sidewalks and in the streets are covered in darkness and when the light building windows were all you can see.

"What kind of groceries did you bring?" Train asked. He opened the bags and his face lit up at what he found. Sven went to sit at the foot of Eve's bed. "I bought egg, rice, some hot dogs, soy sauce, and milk." He took off his hat and coat and lay them next to him as he settled down to watch the show. "I had to buy it to feed a greedy little Black Cat." "You can't blame me for being hungry," Train said. Then we heard a loud rumbling that seemed to shake the room. I looked up at the ceiling. "Are they renovating upstairs or something?" Everyone in the room except me sweat dropped. "That," Eve answered, "Was Train's stomach." I looked at Train, both in amazement and a little pity. "How 'bout I start on that meal I was just talking about?"I suggested.

I showed myself over to the kitchen and took out all the groceries from their bags, though the milk was already taken care of. I checked the mini-fridge, but there was nothing inside. I searched all the cabinets and drawers to see what else there might be for me to use. In the end, I found a pot, a can of green beans, plates, minimal cutlery, and some glasses, all covered in a layer of dust. "Not much to go by," I muttered to myself as I thought of what I could make. I rinsed the pot, plates, glasses, and silverware as I thought. Finally, I asked, "How does Jambalaya sound?" Without waiting for a reply, I fired up the stove. Within fifteen minutes, I had a steaming pot of Jambalaya – a delicious mixture of rice, meat and veggies, Louisiana style. Ryan had already set out the plates, glasses, and spoons.

"Dig in!" I called. Train raced over to the table and dumped just about half the pot on his plate. Sven was just as enthusiastic, though he didn't eat quite as fast as Train did. Ryan and I just stared. "When was the last time they ate?" we asked Eve in unison. She looked a little embarrassed as she answered. "Umm.. around yesterday afternoon, I think." Well that was a surprise. "So when Sven said this would save on eating expenses...?" I trailed off. "We've been...trying to reduce the debts we owe by saving money as much as possible." We looked at the half-starving men in wonder. Through a mouthful of rice, Train said, "Runa, yis is derishus! Yoo weery aww a gway' cook!" I couldn't help but laugh. "It'll be a waste on you if you choke." Somehow, he was able to swallow everything without suffocating. He gave me a cocky grin. "Hah! I won't choke." He demonstrated once more by wolfing down another plateful. "SEE!" "I haven't had food this good for weeks," Sven said in between servings. "Thank you," I said. I smiled warmly from the bottom of my heart, and so did Ryan. We both missed eating like this with other people.

An hour or so later, after I cooked and served another pot of Jambalaya, we were all sitting around the room. Train was still sitting in one of the chairs resting while Ryan, Eve, and I decided to go sit on the unoccupied bed and play cards. Sven was lying on the bed next to us, thoroughly stuffed from my successful meal. "BS!" Ryan cried as Eve was supposedly putting down an Ace from her hand. She looked up at him, surprised, and turned the mystery card over – a 6. "Looks like you'll have to keep the stack now," I said. She was a good sport about it, though she still looked perplexed at Ryan's successful confrontation. "That's the third time you've caught me," she said. "Don't worry about it, Eve," I comforted her. "You have a great poker face, hands down. It's just that Ryan here has a knack for catching liars. Trying to win BS against him is like trying to win a race against a cheetah." Ryan had a cocky glint in his eye. "Are you saying it's impossible to beat me, Luna Daniels?" He put down a card from his hand. "No, I simply said it's difficult. It's not impossible," I replied as I watched him put down the card. "Especially not, according to that Bull Shit you just put down." Ryan froze before pulling back his card. I smirked, "You're not the only one who learned from Mom and Dad." At that, Sven looked up. "Hey. Is it alright with your parents that you're out so late?"

Tension suddenly heightened in the air. Ryan's smile faded and he went quiet at the mention of our parents. I slowly reached for the ring on my right hand, rubbing it as I always did when I remembered Mom. "We live on our own," I said simply. Train looked up at us thoughtfully. "Why don't you live with your family?" I turned my head down and studied the details of the carpet, keeping from making much eye contact. "We...don't really get along with our family." Sven's brow furrowed. "You guys are pretty young to be living alone. Things with your folks can't be _that_ bad." I opened my mouth to answer once more, but Ryan interrupted. "Our parents are dead. They were killed two years ago." Shocked silence filled the room. Train and Sven both sat up where they were. I glanced at Ryan, startled at his sudden outburst. We usually kept the fact that we were orphans secret, let alone that Mom and Dad were murdered. _Does he trust these people _that_ much?_

He continued, telling them the whole story. "Our family expected us to go live with them, but even though we were young, Luna and I could tell that none of our relatives wanted to take care of us so much as they wanted our inheritance. Neither of our parents had gotten along with them when they were alive either. Luna was already 18 so, we left. Our family got upset and disowned us, and somehow they were able to get the inheritance they wanted, too. Luna quit college and home schooled me, and...here we are."

Silence encompassed the room once again as everyone absorbed this. Ryan's expression was unreadable. I couldn't really tell what he was feeling as he started playing with his gold watch. Eve looked at both of us, as if we were totally different people. Train was stiff. He looked, almost angry when he heard everything. Finally, Sven spoke up. "I'm sorry to hear that...We all are." I smiled sadly at him. "It's alright. Not like you it's your fault." I poked Ryan in the forehead to try and lighten the mood once more. "We get along fine right?" I stood up and held my right hand out to him. Ryan looked up at me and smiled back. He took my hand in a high five."Stuck for together for life," he said. "Inseparable," we said in unison. It was a motto we'd followed ever since the night our parents died.

The atmosphere in the room warmed up after that. "You guys are close, huh?" Train said. He was smiling again too. "We've had each others' backs since we were little," Ryan replied. "Yeah. The last thing our parents would want is for us to be separated." Train reached for the lump on the back of his head. "I'm sure you won't disappoint them."

After a moment or so, it was about time for us to leave. I checked Ryan's watch for the time. 11:00 PM "Shit," I mumbled to myself. I walked over to the window to try and see what it was like outside. The skyline was lovely, but on the ground, movement lurked in the dark. "What's wrong?" Sven asked. He was picking up the plates from the table. I sighed, "Nothing. We have to get home soon," I said, still looking out the window. I tried to hide the concern in my voice. Everyone in Downtown knew that there were fewer officers out at night. Plus more gang fights...and murders...and burglaries. I must have looked really worried, because just then, Eve suggested, "You could stay with us for the night."

"W-w-what?" I sputtered at the sudden invitation. "Sven, you said it's dangerous around here at night right?" Train added. Ryan and I looked at each other. These guy had just saved our lives and now they were letting us sleep over. Automatically, a little voice in the back of my head started screaming, "Too much, Too Much, TOO MUCH!" We both started to protest. "No way, you guys already put up with us so much – ," "I'm used to driving around here at night – ," "Our clothes are still over at my house – ," "You guys need to rest – ," "I – ." Sven raised his voice over ours.

"You two are staying with us for the night. That's final." He turned towards Eve. "Eve, do you have any clothes Luna could borrow?" Eve went to check in a suitcase in the closet. I made one last effort to change their minds. "Sven, really. This is too much to offer. We're overstaying our welcome." "Nonsense," he answered. "We are the ones asking you to stay. Besides, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to let you and your younger brother leave. You'd both be defenseless out there." As much as I didn't like being called "defenseless," I knew he was right. There was no question about whether or not we could trust them. And it was clear their minds were all made up. "Fine," I finally said. "We'll stay."

A/N: Good stuff coming is **_finally _**in next chapter. I can't wait..:D...and i couldn't fit it into the summary, but there will also be an Eve x OC romance (im pretty sure everyone figured that one out already)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Black Cat. All street names used are fake and any correlation they have with real world street name are merely coincidental.

A/N: Finally more exciting stuff happens...YAY!

Chapter 5

Eve came back with a T-shirt and sweatpants. "Are these okay?" she asked me as she handed them over. "These will be fine," I said as I took them. "We are the same height after all." I had learned to embrace my shortness a long time ago. "Hey, Ryan!" Train called. He was already sitting in front of his own suitcase with another set of clothes in hand. "These look about your size." He tossed over another set T-shirt and sweats. "Thanks, man," Ryan called back. He caught the clothes in midair. "We both can't thank you enough," I told them all. "Don't worry about it," Train said, pulling a thumbs up sign. "You guys are our friends now."

It was a relief to finally change out of my cook's uniform after such a long day. Ryan went into the closet while I was in the bathroom. The shirt was pretty long; it went almost up to my knees. The sweatpants were snug, not too tight and not too loose. Overall, it was extremely comfortable and suited my taste. I stepped out of the restroom to find Ryan was already waiting for me outside with everyone else. We looked like exact opposites. I stood in front of the bathroom door with my clothes folded into a neat stack in my arms. The midnight blue shirt brought out my now silvery blue eyes. My raven-black hair remained tied in its Sacajawea-like braid, matching the black sweatpants perfectly. Ryan wore a pale yellow shirt and baggy camouflage pants, as if the outfit was color coordinated to correspond with his dirty blonde hair and forest green eyes.

"You two are as different as night and day." Sven took the words right out of my mouth. I piled my clothes on top of Ryan's on the closet floor. "Ryan takes more after our Dad," I said. "And Luna is almost an exact copy of Mom," Ryan added. Then he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Now, let's get on with assigning beds," he said before shooting his hand up eagerly. "I volunteer to sleep on the floor!" _Typical, _I thought. _He still loves building pillow forts. _Sven had a perplexed expression on his face. "Sure," he agreed hesitantly, not wanting to disappoint the eager little kid. Ryan wasted no time in taking the extra sheets pillows off the beds. While Ryan was busy building his bed, Sven turned to me. "Luna, you don't mind sleeping with Eve do you?" "Not at all," I replied cheerily. "It'll be like having a little sister."A small grin played on Eve's lips. I wasn't the only one who dreamed of having a sister.

Eve went to change in the bathroom. I got myself settled into bed, not really wanting to wait any longer. The day had been very eventful, to say the least, and I was ready to sleep like a log. Sven went ahead and turned off all the lights, leaving the room with only the glow from the street lamps outside. "Good night," I called into the darkness. Without a second thought, I closed my eyes and fell into a much needed sleep.

About 2 hours later

I woke to the "click" of a gun being loaded. I sat straight up in bed. _What was that?_ The silhouette of a man stood at the foot of the bed. My first instinct was to defend myself. I reached for the phone on the bedside-table, but someone grabbed my wrist and put a hand over my mouth. My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and I recognized my captor. Sven looked me straight in the eye. _Quiet._ He let go of me and pointed to the light coming in underneath the door. A shadow lay in the middle; someone was standing outside.

I looked around the room. Eve was already sitting up next to me; she had woken up the instant she felt me move. Standing guard in front of our bed was Train, facing the door, gun in hand. Eve slipped herself out from beneath the sheets and tiptoed to the closet. Silently, she came back with her boots, Ryan's worn-out Nikes, and my denim flats. Meanwhile, Sven crept over next to the window, to where Ryan was sleeping. _Thank God he isn't snoring. _He shook Ryan awake as gently as possible, trying not to startle him. Ryan pushed himself slowly up once Sven showed him what was going on. Eve and I stepped softly across the carpeted floor with Ryan's shoes in hand. We waited for him to put them on, and Train backed up towards us. The shadow in front of the door had grown, blocking almost all the light from the hallway; whoever was there had brought reinforcements. All five of us stood by the window. Ryan already had his duffel bag with him and Sven had his attache' case. Train leaned towards us. "Sven, Eve, you guys are going through the window, got it?" The two nodded in agreement. The hairs on my back raised. I won't pretend I wasn't scared. On the contrary, I was terrified. This was was too much like that night. The last night we ever saw Dad alive.

_His blue eyes were stern, though I could sense the fear they concealed beneath. "Luna, take your brother and run. Out the the balcony window and down the tree." "But what about-?" The doors burst open before I could finish my sentence."RUN!" Blood spattered behind us as we turned to run and gunfire ensued._

My hand moved on its own, grasping Train's shoulder tightly. "What about you?" I whispered desperately into his ear. I couldn't hide the panic in my voice. "You can't stay behind." Train turned to face me and saw the fear plain on my face. His serious expression softened. "Don't worry," he whispered back confidently. "I'll catch up." He gave me a knowing smile and then looked at his gun. "Hades hasn't let me die yet." He was so sure of himself and so calm. I settled down a bit and gave him a wary look before letting him go. I still didn't want to leave him behind, but I didn't have much of a choice. He'd made up his mind. "Be careful." He winked at me. "I sure will." Then he glanced at Sven and Eve. "On the count of three?" he asked. Sven started, "One..." Eve, "Two..." Train aimed his gun at a spot in the door. "Three," he said quietly and pulled the trigger.

The door burst open and a gang of suited men gathered outside opened fire. Somehow, Train was able to keep the bullets from hitting us. Sven swung his attache' case and broke the glass of the window. Sven grabbed Ryan's shirt and looked him in the eye. "JUMP!" Ryan didn't hesitate and tossed himself over the ledge. Sven went closely after him. Then it was the girls' turn. My stomach flew up to my chest, my heart into my throat, as we free-fell to the sidewalk below. Eve took hold of my arms, and in a flurry of feathers, wings sprouted from her back. I stared in amazement as she flew us past another bunch of black clad goons on the ground.

I turned and saw Sven and Ryan holding onto the attache' case for dear life. It had shot a grappling hook into the hotel wall and was lowering them down. The men we'd just passed gathered below them while two others continued to run after us. We lost sight of Ryan and Sven and began losing altitude as Eve carried us around the corner. "We'll have to run," Eve shouted as we glided down. "No need to tell me twice!" We hit the ground running and headed down the dimly lit road. No one was out but us and whoever was after us. The thugs fired at us from behind once they were within shooting range. The sound echoed off the building walls and down the silent street. "_SHIT!"_ We picked up speed to avoid getting hit. Windows lit up along the street as people woke up to the noise outside.

The suits gained on us; they were close enough for us to hear their footsteps as they sprinted along behind. I looked over at Eve."Do you have anything else up your sleeve that could help us out right now?" "Not yet!" she hollered back, whatever that was supposed to mean. My legs were screaming both in pain and panic. I didn't think I could keep running for much longer. The sound of each gunshot pounded against my head. _Think, Luna. THINK! _I looked for anything familiar about the buildings and alleys we passed. We needed to get out of the open. An alleyway, a side street, an empty trash can – anything that we could hide in, even for just a second. Down the street, a small sign read _Mr. Nickle's Pawn Shop_. _Perfect!_ "Eve, follow my lead!" I ran up in front of her towards the intersection.

Eve ran after me up until the intersection. While I took a right. She stopped and turned to face the guys chasing after us. I slowed down, until Eve called back to me, "Keep going! I'll catch up!" I still hesitated until she shouted, "Trust me!" At the same time, fists formed at the ends of her blonde locks. There was no doubt she could take care of herself. I kept running down the street and went down a small, dark alley. Strewn everywhere was broken bottles, crumpled paper, and lead pipes. At the very end sat an old dumpster, the same place it'd been sitting for the past five years. Weapons and a hiding place. I picked out one of the longer pipes and propped open the dumpster hood. As I jumped into the half filled trash box, Eve ran into the alley. She quickly hopped in after me. I had already started digging at the far corner of the dumpster. She looked at me confusedly until I pointed at the hole I'd been digging. "Hurry up!" She saw the faint light in the wall at the edge of my hole. "Here." Her hands turned into shovels, and she took the digging over completely.

Outside, I could hear the footsteps of the two men from before. They strolled down the alley. "Come out, come out wherever you are," one of them sang. The other laughed gruffly. Eve was half-way through. I stuffed my hands into the trash and threw it out of the way. We needed to get out fast. A bullet shot through the wall of the dumpster missing my head by an inch. _Keep digging, keep digging,_ I reminded myself. This was _not _the time to panic. Their footsteps stopped outside the dumpster. The space in the wall was almost wide enough for us to get through. I shoved all the trash through and rolled after it. Eve tumbled after me as the two thugs opened the lid of the dumpster.

We landed in a heap on the cement floor of an old warehouse, as the two men were scrambling into the dumpster outside. Next to us stood an upright piano. I got up and tried to slide the heavy wooden instrument over the opening. Eve helped me give it a shove and together, we closed off the space in the wall. The two guys outside pounded against it for a few seconds, as if we would let them in. Their knocks echoed with the "tang" of the strings inside the piano. Finally, they gave up and silence filled the room. I sighed in relief. Then I looked around the room we were in.

Figures shrouded in white were spread out in the room. Some were shaped like grandfather clocks while others looked like pianos. Dust moated everything, even the floor. A small light came from a hallway light that someone kept on to make sure no one tripped over any of the merchandise. The familiar place was comforting, especially after what had just happened. I turned to look at Eve. "We're safe for now," I said, then stopped once I saw how she looked. She was a tinge green and a shade paler than normal as she leaned on the piano for support. "What happened to you?"

I helped her sit down against the wall. "Are you hurt?" "It's nothing really," she said weakly. "I'm just...tired." She gave me a wobbly smile. My brows furrowed. This didn't look like just "nothing". I thought back to the chase from the hotel. "Does this have something to do with...when you changed?" She closed her eyes a bit as she rested. "Yeah. When I transform, it takes a bit of energy for me to do it." Eve looked like she was about to fall asleep. "We'll stay here until you're up to walking," I said smiling. "No," Eve mumbled, opening her eyes. "We need to keep moving." She put her hand on the piano once more and pulled herself up. I would've protested, but I knew she was right. The small fear that whoever was after us would break into the building still lingered. I stood up and took her arm putting it over my shoulders to support her as best as I could. "There's a fire exit upstairs," I said as she looked at me, startled. "What are you doing?" she asked. I smiled. "I had to help Ryan walk home one time after he got into a fight," I explained. "That's what big sisters are for, right?" Eve smiled faintly. "Thanks, Sis."

We walked across the room and into the wide hallway. Further down to the left was an elevator door. I pressed the arrow pointing up and we stepped into the lit carriage for our ride. "How do you know this place?" Eve asked as I pressed the "2" button. I grinned at the memory. "My family came here a couple of times about a piano we used to have. When Ryan and I were little, we would explore the different things Mr. Nickle had. We found that huge hole in the wall behind a table that used to stand there. Our parents showed it to Mr. Nickle, and he said some rats from that alley on South St probably made it. Ryan and me looked for it last year when we were bored. Good God, did we stink that day." I shook my head and chuckled. "Mr. Nickle's going to go berserk when he sees that we moved one of his pianos. He's really high-strung about where everything goes." Eve laughed a little at that. She was quiet compared to most girls her age, more reserved about her feelings. _Maybe that's why Ryan likes her._ My brother had never been the type to like drawing attention to himself, even if he couldn't help but say what was on his mind.

The doors of the elevator slid open to a dimmer, more narrow hallway on the second floor. At the end, we could see an old pink neon light buzzing from a neighboring building outside. "There's the exit." We went up to it and looked outside. Nothing moved in the alley below except for the occasional rat scuttling around. I realized the fault to my plan when I remembered that we'd have to _climb _down the fire escape. Eve was in no shape to be monkeying around a fire escape, and I definitely wouldn't be able to carry her down. The adrenaline rush from the chase had worn off, leaving me exhausted.

I set Eve down so that I could try and look for a way down for the both of us. That is, I _tried _to set her down, but a loud shriek tore through the dark, scaring me half to death and making Eve practically fall over.

"What the hell was that?" Adrenaline pumped back into my veins as I searched fervently around the hallway and out the window for the person screaming. Eve pulled a plastic box out of her blouse pocket. "It was this," she said as I eyed the thing. On closer inspection, I found it was a mini two-way radio. Eve switched it to life and began turning the knobs on it until a familiar voice came through. "Princess, Luna, are you okay? Where are you? Princeeeess!" Train called into the other end. Eve pressed a button on the side of the radio. "We're right here Train. Quiet down," She made no attempt to hide the irritation in her voice. I leaned over her to try and get closer to the radio. "Train, do you _want _us to die? Dammit, you gave me a frickin' heart attack!" Train laughed at the other end. "I told you I told you not to worry about me. And I knew you'd be okay! Ryan over here was worried sick." "_I was not!_" I could almost here him the color of his cheeks in the background. Train ignored him and continued. "Where are you two? Sven and Ryan are with me in the car."

I took the radio from Eve and looked out the window to read the street signs. "Tell Ryan we're in a warehouse at the corner of North and East St. _Mr. Nickle's Pawn Shop_ . We're by the fire escape in the alley to the right. He should remember the way here." "Alright. I'll send him over. Oh and Luna, how would you like me to buy you some new clothes?"

That caught me off guard. "W-What? Why?" There was some sort of scuffling sound and a protest from Train, "Hey!" Then, Sven's voice came in. "We'll tell you why once we get the chance. All you need to know is that you won't just be staying the night with us. Looks like you and Ryan will be joining us for a while." After everything that had happened so far, this didn't really surprise me. It's not like we could get any more tangled in this mess. "We'll pick you up when we get there," Sven continued. "For now you and Eve sit tight." He cut off and all we could hear from the little box was static. I sat myself down next to Eve, processing what I'd just heard. I suddenly felt exhausted, the lack of sleep and running so much catching up on me. Eve was already napping soundly. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. A few seconds later, I perked up to the "clank" and "crash" of someone pulling down the ladder at the bottom of the fire escape. Soon enough, Ryan's face popped into the window's view. His face was covered in comical black smudges, and his hair was sticking out in all directions.

"Did you get struck by lightning?" I asked him, laughing. Ryan smiled. "Something like that. You look like you just got out of the dumpster." He noticed that we were sitting on the ground, and his smile was replaced by an expression of concern. "Are you two okay?" Eve was still deep asleep. "Eve looked like she was gonna pass out a second ago, but I think she'll be okay when she wakes up. I just need some help getting her down." Ryan started turning a bit pink. "Do you want to go get Sven or Train up here instead?" I suggested. He looked down the ladder behind him uneasily. "Train's standing watch, and Sven's guarding the car. _And_ we don't know if those guys plan to pop up out of no where." He sighed, then shrugged. "I guess there's no way around it." I couldn't help but agree with him. I didn't want to waste any more time than need be. He climbed in to join us on the floor of the inside. Eve was truly out cold; she didn't make a peep as Ryan lifted her up onto his back and climbed down the ladder. I made sure to keep close underneath him in case he or she slipped.

We got down safely into the alley with Train waiting at its entrance. He was a bit taken aback at the fact that Ryan had to carry Eve down, but he seemed pretty calm about it. He knew how much energy it took her to transform and it was obvious I couldn't have brought her down myself. Sven, on the other hand, didn't take things so lightly. He would've snatched the girl right off of Ryan's back had she not been asleep. I'd tell you what he said, but there's a level of cursing that even I can't tolerate being seen on a page.

Train was able to calm him down, but there still seemed to be an almost murderous intent in Sven's one visible eye as he watched Ryan get into the car. When Sven wasn't looking, Ryan shot me a look from his seat next to the fatherly figure. His face screamed, _"Help me!"_ But what could I do? Ryan was better at directions than I was any day. Plus, Sven didn't look too keen on letting Ryan sit in the back with us girls. I gave him a resigned shrug. _"Sorry, I can't." _I wasn't sure if I heard Ryan whimper as the engine roared to life.

Train sat in the window seat to my right and watched the shadows passing by. On my left, Eve slept, her head leaning slightly towards her window. We were all tired and rode in comfortable silence. My mind felt foggy, my eyes were as heavy as lead. I sunk into my seat and gladly welcomed sleep. I closed my eyes and darkness engulfed me. And then the dreams began...


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Black Cat

A/N: I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! If it weren't for people like Dr. King, discrimination against others' race, ethnicity, religion, and skin color would still be legal in America...Plus, I'd still have school today and wouldn't have time enough time to finish this.

I also want to thank everyone who is taking the time to read this; I didn't really think I would have this much following. I'm sorry I didn't post this up yesterday, but please continue to enjoy the story and don't be afraid to give any positive or negative feedback you may have. Now on with the show.

Chapter 6

Train's POV

Sven drove us through the night, as far west of the city we could get. We passed cities, then a few small towns, and finally empty countryside. By the time the sun came up, we were already in the middle of San Antonio. For the whole drive, Ryan and Eve were out cold. Luna, on the other hand, couldn't quite calm down. With all her tossing and turning, she ended up leaning her head against my shoulder. When she finally lay still, though, she began mumbling in her sleep. "What?...Mom? That sound..." At one point she whimpered, "I'm sorry." _What could she possibly be dreaming about?_ I took one of the blankets in the back seat and placed it over her shoulders, hoping it would comfort her a little. The night had been harsh on her and her brother. The least I could do was try and help them get some rest.

"Train, you still awake?" Sven asked from the front seat. "Yeah," I called back. "What's the matter?"

Sven glanced at me in his rear-view mirror. "I can't be the only one who noticed something funny about those thugs back in Downtown, Train. Don't you think it's suspicious, the way those guys just stopped running and disappeared?" I kept quiet for a minute. I knew what he was talking about. If anyone were after us, they wouldn't just retreat like that. Once they saw how hard it would be to catch us, though, they just left without a trace."You think they're tracking us?" I asked. "Maybe," Sven answered. "But the question is, why?" "Hnnh," Ryan sighed in his sleep and shifted his weight against the seat. I looked at Ryan, then Luna in contemplative silence. If Sven heard the men right back there, this would be just the beginning of their troubles. What anyone would want with a couple of kids, I had no idea, but it was clear to both Sven and I that we weren't the ones those guys had been after.

I sighed, remembering the first few years after my own parents were killed. The time hadn't been easy on me, that's for sure. I hated the thought of having to see someone else have to go through the same hell of having to handle everything alone. "Sven, we need to help them out." My partner looked a bit surprised at what I said but kept his eyes on the road. "Isn't that why we're taking them with us?" I recalled the memory of when I found my parents dead in the parlor room, when I first met Zaguine. "We're taking them with us," I said as a matter of fact. Sven turned to look at me in astonishment. "We can't just take them along with us," he objected. "You want to just drag them into a world of cut-throats and assassins? They barely got through last night." "You were willing to bring Eve along with us," I countered. "_Eve_ can defend herself when she needs to. These two probably haven't held a weapon once in their lifetime." I looked at Sven in the eye through his mirror. "They're involved in the criminal world, Sven, whether they know it or not. That chase should be enough to prove my point. _You_ heard it with your own ears. They're being hunted down by someone." I knew his gentleman's code wouldn't let him just leave them to fend for themselves. No matter how secluded a place we found for Ryan and Luna to stay, whoever wanted them so badly would stop at nothing to find them.

Sven was quiet for a moment. "Fine," he agreed resignedly. "They're coming with us." He glanced over at Ryan, now snoring softly next to him. "But _he_ better not cause any problems. He's dead the next time he lays a hand on Eve." I chuckled. "Someone's being a bit overprotective don't you think? Li'l Princess is growing up after all." Sven's eyes flashed. "_**What are you suggesting?**_" A thick, deadly aura filled the car, practically suffocating me. I shrunk a bit into my seat and sweat-dropped. "Nothing, _nothing!" _I put my hands up in front of me. _Note to self: never talk about Eve having a boyfriend in front of Sven._ Even if she wasn't the type to even think about having a relationship with a guy, Sven took protecting her seriously. _Somehow, I pity Ryan._

Luna's POV

_I stepped carefully across the wooden floor, balancing the cake I'd finished decorating for this very occasion. Ryan sat at the dining table, impatient for his birthday dinner's finale. "Ryan, you're practically slobbering over your plate," Dad laughed across from my brother. "Sorry,"Ryan apologized, though none of the excitement died down. Mom smiled widely at me. "Well, we can't quite blame him for having a genius cook for a sister." She stood at the end of the table, holding the small paper plates we kept for cake serving. I grinned from ear to ear. It had been a long time since my parents ever praised me for my cooking skills. Really, it'd been a long time since we did anything together. "This recipe isn't mine, Mom. My roommate taught me how to bake this one. She's the one taking Culinary Arts after all." "It'll be delicious all the same," my Dad said. Ryan wasn't the only one impatient to eat._

_I placed the double-layer cake on the table. The cutting knife was already sat expectantly in front of Ryan. He lifted it up to get started. "Not so fast." I pulled out the candles and matches. "Don't you have a birthday wish?" "Yeah, to eat this cake! Come on Sis', I'm fourteen. Can't I have one bite first?" I chuckled as I quickly placed and lit the candles. "Just wit until you see this." I winked at my brother. Mom and Dad were in on the surprise. As the flame grew on each candle, sparks began to bounce off their heads. Soon, a rainbow of sparks flew across the cake. A few of the tiny lights landed on the frosting, setting ablaze the magical glaze I'd made. The cake had been decorated as a motocross track in honor of Ryan's many achievements in the sport. A small, blonde figurine was doing an ollie on his bike at the edge of the cake. Behind him, "Happy Birthday!" spelled itself out in red and orange flames. Before long, the ridge of the bottom layer was a circle of flames. Ryan gazed in amazement. "How did you do that?"_

"_You have no idea how many fires I started in my dorm testing it out." I laughed. "I almost got evicted from the building. Was it worth the trouble?" "Definitely." He was beaming at the spectacular show. _Even if he insists he's a teenager, he still loves fireworks, _I thought. He blew out the flames and looked up at me and Mom and me pleadingly. "Can I _pleeaase_ cut the cake now?" "Go ahead," we said in unison. Ryan dove in and cut out a huge chunk of the cake and placed it on the cake. If it weren't his birthday, I would've made sure to steal half of it to be fair. But I let it slide just this once. "Hey, don't forget about me." Dad was using all his self-restraint not to snatch the knife from Ryan and cut himself a slice twice as big._

_As Ryan distributed the uneven slices, the doorbell rang. _Who could that be? _ We hadn't invited anyone for the small party. This was just a family affair, the same way it was every year. A sense of foreboding crept over me. I turned to go answer the door, but Mom stopped me. "I'll get it. It's probably for your father and me." She and Dad exchanged wary looks before she left the room. Dad stood up from his chair. "I'll pour the drinks." He tried to keep a cheery smile, but Ryan and I could tell something was up. Dad was avoiding contact with us. His shoulders were tense as he bent over to reach for the cups. I opened my mouth to ask what was the matter when we heard glass shatter at the front door. Dad was up instantly."Dad, what was that sound?" I asked. A loud popping noise followed, and somewhere in the back of my mind, another side of me, knew that that this wasn't the first time I'd seen this. But I didn't pay attention to it; I couldn't. I simply relived the nightmare as I always did. That's the thing about dreams, isn't it? You have no choice, no control over what you see or do._

"_Shit," Dad muttered under his breath. His tone then became strict and commanding. "Kids, follow me." We obeyed and ran after him up the back staircase. Pounding against the wood beneath us, the feet of four huge suited men ran into the dining room."What's going on?" Ryan asked, fear ringing clearly in his voice. "No use trying to escape, Richard! You know we'll get you!" We raced down the hall into the master bedroom. A bullet ricocheted off the wall as we turned into the entrance. I ran in last after Ryan and Dad slammed the door behind me. "Move!" Dad yelled at me. He and Ryan barricaded the door with our parents' heavy wooden dresser. "What about Mom? We can't just leave her out there." The other side of me knew Mom was already dead, but I didn't want to believe it. Dad simply looked at me, his face was twisted, in pain and sadness. _

_Someone began banging against the door. Dad quickly strode over to his bed and pulled out a rifle from underneath it. Ryan and I stared at the weapon in his hand in shock. Neither of us had had any idea that we had one. Our parents avoided weapons like the plague. Lecture after lecture was placed on our ears about never carrying a gun, never even considering learning how shoot a be-be gun, and here we stood with assassins after us, and Dad loading a hunting rifle and aiming it at the door. "Dad...what..is happening?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. He walked up to us and took us into a tight hug. "You two stick together, no matter what." We simply stood there, too confused to comprehend what was going on. Everything was too fast. He knelt in front of Ryan. "Ryan, my father gave this to me when I was eighteen." He unlatched his gold watch and placed it on my brother's wrist. "He thought it would bring me good luck when I traveled to the U.S. Now, I think you'll need it more than I will." He mussed up Ryan's blonde hair. "Happy Birthday," he said sadly. The dresser began rocking against the force of the men slamming on the door. "Luna." Dad stood up and reached into his pants pocket. "Your mother and I wanted to give this to you." He pulled out a small box, covered in dark blue velvet and placed it in my hand. "Take care of these, both of you." We nodded._

"_Daniels!" The pounding against the door was fiercer and more forceful. Dad glanced at the dresser, than back at me. His blue eyes were stern, though I could sense the fear they concealed beneath. "Luna, take your brother and run. Out the the balcony window and down the tree." "But what about-?" The doors burst open before I could finish my sentence."RUN!" Blood spattered behind us as we turned to run and gunfire ensued. I stuffed the box into my jeans pocket._

_We ran through the balcony doors. Below us, three men waited for our descent to the ground. I grabbed a branch of the cherry tree that Mom had planted and stepped onto the railing. "DAD!" I turned around. Ryan stared, horrified as we watched our father's stiff body fall to the ground. _No._ At that point, I cut myself off from my emotions. I needed to get us out of here. I needed to follow Dad's orders. _

"_Ryan, come on!" I reached my hand out for him. But my brother remained where he was, stupefied by shock and fear. One of the men from the room went after him while the others trashed the room, flipping tables and pulling out drawers. I got down from the tree and pulled Ryan by the collar. "COME _ON_!" He responded to my command wordlessly. We clambered onto the tree and lowered ourselves towards the ground. Before our feet touched the ground, I quickly shoved my foot into the face of one of the men at the bottom. The other two closed in on us. 'CRACK!' Ryan fell from the tree with a huge tree branch in his hands. Landing on his feet, he swung the branch with all his strength at them. The first one dodged but the second one was hit square in the jaw. Before the last man could advance on Ryan, I kneed him in his Achilles' heel. I caught a glimpse of the back of his neck. An image I would never forget was tattooed onto his skin. A green serpent wrapped around dagger dripping with blood. Encircling it was a ring of shining silver._

_We ran towards the back fence, but out popped yet another thug. I searched fervently, racking my brain for where another escape may be. Finally, my eyes settled on a wheelbarrow at the very left . I yanked Ryan after me towards it and together, we climbed onto it and used it to get us over the fence and onto the street. Racing down the street I led Ryan to a car parked on the side of the road. I pointed towards it. "Hot-wire! Now!" Ryan understood immediately. With the tree branch still in hand, he broke through the window and got in. His auto expertise took over as he pushed himself underneath the steering wheel and cut the wires. Behind us, a group of men were running after us, guns pointed in our direction. I ducked in front of the car hood as they fired. The engine revved to life and the passenger door swung open. "Done!" I threw myself into the car, and Ryan slammed on the gas. We sped backwards and hit the men that were after us. Then, Ryan shifted gears into drive and swerved us onto the street in front of our house. But no matter how fast we drove, it was impossible for Ryan and I to miss what at the entrance of what was once our home._

_A woman's body lay on the floor in front of the door, blood pooling around her._

_Mom..._They're gone. They're both dead. _Ryan turned his head back to face the windshield, but he couldn't hide the tears rolling down his face. I only noticed then that I had been crying too. We drove off, mourning in our silence. _They died protecting us. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't help them. _I put my head in my hands and sobbed quietly. _I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. _Beside me, Ryan's face was stoic and wet with tears. He kept himself concentrated on driving us away, away from what had just happened, from our dead parents, from the pain and sorrow and danger. I remembered Dad's gifts to us. I took the box out of my pocket and flipped oped the lid. Inside rested a ring inlaid with a flower of sapphire petals and a single diamond in its center. Slowly, I slipped it onto my finger and looked over at Ryan's wrist. Dad's watch fit him perfectly. _"You two stick together, no matter what." _I memorized that phrase, the sound of his voice when he said it. "Ryan.." I reached over to place my hand over his. "Let's stick together, for Dad." My voice was wobbly but sure. My brother turned to let me see his eyes, shining with tears. He looked just like Dad did, tired..and sad. " Okay."_

_Suddenly, everything faded into darkness. _What's going on? Where am I?_ A voice echoed and filled the dreamscape. "More trials are soon to come," a woman's voice called ominously. My heart pounded against my ears as panic engulfed me. _"What do you mean? Who are you?"

_The voice slowly answered. "I am a friend, and I mean you no harm. I met your parents once, long ago." I wasn't sure whether or not to believe her, but she continued. "You are in good hands, Hitomi-san. Yet you must be wary of whom you meet during your travels. And be watchful over your brother, just as your father wished." I was stunned. Almost no one knew my real name, nor what my father had said the night he died. "_Why can't I see you?" "_We will meet in person soon, I'm sure. For now, I must limit my communication with you. And for that reason you must be careful, Hitomi-san. There are many who wish for your demise as well as your brother's." Her voice became softer, more distant. "I have to take leave now Hitomi-san. I will try to speak with you again, to explain myself further." A small bell rang faintly and a light began to enter the dreamscape from far off. "Until then, Hitomi-san, farewell..."_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Black Cat.

A/N: This chapter is shorter than the others due to lack of time and convenience and my goal to post up a chapter every Sunday. I hope you continue to enjoy..^_^

Chapter 7

Luna's POV

I opened my eyes in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. _What the hell was that? _ I hadn't had that nightmare for almost two years, and I'd never heard that voice before in _any_ of my dreams. And how had she known my real name? For as long as I could remember, everyone, even my parents had called me by my nickname. _I_ barely even knew my full name until my parents taught it to me when I was little. I looked around, making sure I was far and safely away from wherever the voice had taken me.

It had been a void; no other word could describe a place that was so...empty. There had been _nothing_ there, no light, no shadow. The only indication that _I _even existed were my own thoughts. But the most unnerving part was that I couldn't _sense_ anything other than the voice and myself. Couldn't smell, couldn't touch, couldn't hear or see. I had no body to feel or to feel with. If I had been transparent or invisible, I would've felt the air passing through me, would've known that my arm was still attached to my shoulder even if I couldn't see it. But my body wasn't _there_. It had been such a relief when I woke up, able to feel the sensation of having flesh and bones. The rise and fall of my chest as I breathed, the strain on my eyes as they opened to blinding sunlight, the rapid beat of my heart, letting me know I was still alive.

As I glanced around, Train peered down at me over his shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked with a hint of concern. I didn't answer as I tried to straighten out the thoughts and emotions whirling through my head after the dream. It took me a moment to gather my bearings and remember where I was, and yet another to realize I was lying my head down on Train's lap. I shot up in an instant, nearly conking Train in the forehead. He moved his head out of the way in time, but he seemed startled form my reaction. I was more than a little flustered, now. I hadn't been that close to a man in years, and I had only know this one for half a day. He looked at me and asked again, "Luna, are you okay?" "Y-yeah," I stammered. "S-sorry about that. I was just..surprised." "You look like you just saw a ghost." "You could say that," I muttered under my breath and sighed. "It was just a really bad dream." Train nodded sympathetically. "You were talking in your sleep." I looked up at him a bit surprised. I'd forgotten how many times Ryan had complained about that when I kept him up at night. "Did I say anything strange?" I asked, thinking back to what had gone through my head in the nightmare. He was quiet for a moment before answering. "Nothing too weird. Just bits and pieces." I wasn't completely convinced as I watched the look on his face, but I left it at that. The sooner I could forget about that dream, the better.

I looked around the car. Everyone else was awake except for Ryan. Eve smiled at me warmly, fully rested after the night before. "Good morning," she greeted. I smiled back. "Morning." Sven looked at me from the rear view mirror. "Glad to see you're okay after last night." "Thanks," I replied, not really sure what else to say. Truth be told, I was half expecting I would go into shock from almost dying, twice.

Rays of sunlight shone through the windows as the morning sun burned from above. I glanced out Train's window, expecting to see a familiar city skyline. Instead, my eyes met a dry, almost deserted shrub-land. The ground was rocky and almost barren, with sprouts of dark prickly green leaves trying to escape the small cracks in the Earth. Every few yards, what looked like sharp thin shafts of wood passed us by where they appeared to have shot up from the ground – trees maybe? Around each of their bases, bushes formed a circle under which the trees' roots should have been. A tumbleweed rolled in the distance, completing the wasteland theme of the landscape. "Where are we? "

Train pointed towards the GPS. "See for yourself." I glanced over at the screen. The little red you-are-here-dot blinked in between two white specks. One was labeled San Antonio, while the smaller spot read Sonora underneath. My eyes widened; San Antonio was at least five hours away from home. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was reading the screen right. "When did we pass San Antonio?"

"About half an hour ago," Eve answered. "While you and Ryan were asleep, we got some new clothes for you guys to change into from a friend we met there." I remembered what Train had said about buying new clothes over the radio. Then I recalled what else they'd said. "So, why are we coming along with you guys? And, where are we going?" Eve was about to answer, but Sven cut her off. "We're going to meet up with someone I know in Ciudad Juarez." Eve looked surprised. "I thought we were driving towards San Diego for the next target. Do we have to drop them off across the border to hide them or something?" Sven and Train exchanged glances. "Actually, we aren't dropping them off anywhere just yet."

Alarms went off in my head, red flags waving at full speed. _These guys aren't kidnapping us are they?_ I thought of all the possible reasons they might want to. _Ransom? Cheap labor, maybe? They said they were trying to save money before._ The panic must have been plain on my face as Train explained what Sven meant. "We aren't planning on hurting you guys or anything. It's just that it looks like you and your brother are going to have to be traveling with us from now on. Once we get to Ciudad Juarez, we're getting you sweepers' licenses." Somehow, that wasn't too reassuring to hear. "WHAT?" "Hnnnneh...what's going on?" Ryan woke up in the front seat from my shouting. "Why's everyone so loud?" he groaned groggily as he sat himself up properly. He rubbed his stiff neck before glancing around the car. "Morning everyone," he mumbled. Then he looked out the window. "Where are we?" "Somewhere between San Antonio and Sonora," Eve answered, still confused as to what was happening. "And, _apparently_, we're going to cross the border to Mexico in a few hours, too," I added. "You know, so we can get our sweepers' licenses." It took Ryan a minute to process what we'd just told him. Then his eyes widened. "WHAT?" "That's what I said." Eve looked at her partners curiously. "So, why are we bringing them with us?" Train looked at Sven. "How about you tell them? You're the one who heard them talking back there." Sven sighed, as if he was suddenly carrying a huge burden. "Fine." He looked me in the eye solemnly.

"Luna, did you or your brother recognize any of the men chasing us last night?" I was a bit stunned at the question. The answer seemed obvious. "Of course I didn't. Why would I know who those goons were? They were after you three..." My voice trailed off as I grasped what Sven was trying to say. "Weren't they..after you?" Sven said nothing, the answer clear in his eyes. Ryan's face went almost white when he realized what Sven was telling us. "Last night," Sven started. "Ryan and I were cornered in a side street behind the hotel. Thanks to his talent with explosives, though, we were able to build a spark-plug bomb and ambush them with it in one of the alleys connecting to it." Strands of Ryan's hair still stood on end from that, giving his appearance an electrifying effect. "Ryan went to hide in one of the dumpsters while I sat behind one the crates on the ground while we were waiting for them, so he wasn't able to hear what they were saying as they were coming towards us." He paused. "They were talking about you and your parents. They had said that you two had gotten away from themonce...the night they went after your family." He let us absorb what he'd just said, letting silence fall within the car. I closed my eyes, not wanting to believe what I he'd said. _It can't be them again. It just can't . They _found_ what they were looking for. What else could _Basilia_ want with us?_ As I sat there in denial, Ryan voiced the one question I wanted to avoid. "Did you see some kind of tattoo on any of the men back at the hotel?" "I did," Train volunteered. "The gunman in front the door of our room had one on the back of his hand. It was a picture of some kind of serpent wrapped around a knife –" "A dagger," I corrected him as the image from my dream flashed through my mind. "A serpent wrapped around a dagger in a ring of silver." Eve, Sven, and Train looked at me in surprise.

"So you know who they were," Sven said, more as a statement than a question. I sighed. "It's..a long story." "We've got time." Train indicated towards the desert outside. "It'll be a couple of hours before we reach the next town for supplies." Ryan gave me a meaningful look from where he sat. "_Should we tell them?" _ I remembered what the voice from last night had said, about us being in good hands. I nodded. "And then looked at the others. "It started three years ago..."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters o organizations from Black Cat nor the cities mentioned in this, or previous chapters, nor IHOP.

A/N:If anyone has tips to improve my writing (not the plot) please let me know. I plan on entering a writing contest that is coming up soon (with a different story, of course) so any feedback or criticism is welcome. (*cries in a corner of the room* "Why is my vocabulary so small? Why?")

Chapter 8

"Our parents were international lawyers. You might have heard of them – Richard and Yuki Daniels." The surprise was plain on Sven's face, as expected of anyone who had experience in the legal world. He looked like he wanted to interrupt, but I didn't give him a chance. "One night, a man came to them under.._strange _circumstances. He wanted them to take on his case but it was clear that he had no money to offer. His clothes were tattered and ragged and he smelled like he hadn't bathed in at least a week. We could barely understand what he was saying through his thick Russian accent, though he spoke fluent English.

"His story, however, caught our parents' attention. He wanted them to sue a company he used to work for that he was absolutely sure had been responsible for abusing his family, _and _he claimed that he could provide most of the evidence they'd need to win the case. " The familiar glint of curiosity had come into our parents' eyes as they listened to the man as his rain-soaked clothes dripped on the wooden floor of the foyer. I could already tell, then, that they would take on the case, especially after hearing the man's plight. "He was bent on keeping the police out of the investigation, repeating countless times that 'They were in on it. They'll stop at nothing to stop us.' Nevertheless, our parents agreed to help him. Together, the three of them began researching and gathering evidence to present to the jury for the next six months.

"The whole thing was crazy. They had to juggle their schedules at their office and at barely had time to sit down between frequent visits to the library, appointments, and phone call after phone call with companies from _all over_. It was a relief for them _and _us when they were finally able to present the case to the district court. But...right before they were supposed to head to court, they found a document that their client had been searching for for months. Once they read its contents, they realized how significant the case was to the world...and to their family's lives." A flashback of the night before the trial came to mind.

_The door to the study was open a crack as our parents shouted on the other side. I dared to peek inside, wanting to know what had sparked the rare rage in our parents. "You knew how much danger we'd be in if we took your case! Why didn't you tell us? WHY? Did you _**want**_ to put our faces on hit lists worldwide? DID YOU?" Mom waved the file in her hand violently in front of the man's face, as if she was ready to decapitate him with it. The man simply stood there, quivering in fear. "I was afraid you wouldn't help me if you knew," he whimpered. Even Dad was furious as he glared at him from behind. "We could send you straight to the police and drop this case, right here," he shouted. From the look on his face, it was obvious he meant every word. The man got down on his knees and clasped his hands in front of him, sobbing. "Please forgive me! I'm sorry, I truly am! But I couldn't just leave my family at their mercy. I couldn't! Surely you understand. Imagine if your children were being tortured and you couldn't do anything. Please! This was the only way I could see my daughter again! And my wife!" Dad's face softened as he pitied the man in his desperation. Mom, though, didn't yield. "We can't risk our children's lives as well. Richard, we have to end this here." She looked at Dad, but, after a moment's pause he slowly shook his head. "Yuki, if what's in that file is true...it wouldn't matter if we stopped the case. It's too late."_

"They wanted to abandon the man's case right then and there, but they were already in over their heads. So they went to court, and used their evidence, including the file." _I caught a glimpse of the file as our mother took it with her in front of the jury. Embossed on the file's manila cover, the haunting picture sparkled as the light reflected off of it. __**BASILIA**_ _was spelled in royal blue underneath the oh so __familiar symbol. The emerald-scaled basilisk entangling itself around the dagger, decorated by drops of scarlet rolling down its blade, all encased within a silver circle._

"They shocked the jury, the judge, even the defendants' lawyers with the information they presented. It turned out the organization they were up against, _Basilia,_ had investments from companies and organizations around the world, not excluding several nations' governments. Under the guise of a loans union, _Basilia_ utilized blackmail and bribery to gain influence in the corporate and criminal world. The trial was so controversial that the trial was taken to Supreme Court and then in front of the U.N. In the end, though, our parents won the jury's vote by a landslide. Hundreds of corporate executives were taken into custody and a few world leaders were even impeached. The man was able to see his family again and move with them back to Russia.

"Yet, after all the commotion of the big success, Mom and Dad still seemed worried. They became overprotective of us, limiting our time with our friends, keeping us inside with them whenever they could. At one point, they stopped Ryan from riding the bus. They wouldn't tell us why they were so high-strung, though. Ever since the 'big case', they were more secretive, keeping things from us, despite how much we'd ask." _It wasn't like that before. They'd talk to us about everything._

"I'd heard the argument they'd had the night before the trial, but I didn't have any idea how serious the whole thing truly was, not even after the trial. I didn't imagine that our parents would be killed because of it. And the whole time, nothing suspicious happened. We didn't get any strange phone calls. Our family and friends were happy and better than ever...I guess we let our guards down too soon.

"The night Mom and Dad were murdered, one of the assassins sent after our family had a tattoo on the back of his neck of the same serpent and dagger. That was the symbol of the infamous _Basilia_ organization that was supposedly closed down by the government after the trial. Ryan and I went to the authorities to report what happened, but once they heard who we were and what we saw, they seemed to lose interest completely." _The police commissioner's eyes glazed over in the dark room as I described the men who had broken into our home. He held up a hand to stop me from saying any more."That is quite enough Ms. Daniels. With this information, we will be able to track down the criminals immediately." Even my little brother, with his crude lie-detecting skills, knew that was all the help we'd get from the police. _"So after the whole family feud over Ryan, we went to live in the busiest part of Downtown Houston. And...here we are."

I sighed and leaned back into my chair, relieved to get that all off my chest. Sven stared at me through his mirror, speechless for a moment. Then he said what he'd been dying to ask at the beginning. "Your parents were Richard and Yuki Daniels. As in the heads of the R.Y.D. International Law Firm?" I nodded as Train looked curiously at Sven. "You've heard of them?" Sven gave Train an "Are you kidding me?" look. "The Daniels' were world renown lawyers. They were both exceptional at their work, ranging from writing treaties to taking on international criminal trials." He glanced back at me. "Their children were no less gifted. Luna here was known for her expertise in psychology and the arts." He looked back at Ryan a bit skeptically. "Their boy, Ryan, was supposedly an _extremely_ talented athlete." Ryan seemed a little insulted. "What do you mean 'supposedly'?"

Eve looked at us as if we'd become different people entirely. Train, however, was still confused. "If they're so famous, how come you didn't recognize who they were before?" Sven looked at me suspiciously. "I would have, if they weren't reported dead two years ago." Ryan shrugged and, thankfully, took over the explaining. "With our life savings, we were able to bribe a few magazines and websites into publishing a story that we were discovered dead a week after our parents were killed." He smiled darkly at the thought. "They ate the story up like it was pure gold. Even though they were just gossip chains, the news spread like wildfire. Nothing makes better publicity than death, after all."

Train nodded in understanding, satisfied with the explanation. Eve looked at me with curiosity. "If everyone thinks you two were dead all this time, then how did _Basilia_ figure out you were staying with us?" I shook my head. "They could have appeared out of a magic lamp for all I know." Sven pondered over what Eve had said. "If this _Basilia_ is resourceful as the man had claimed, they would have found and killed you and your brother years ago...unless, of course, they decided to _let _you guys go." I went pale at the idea; I hadn't thought about it before, but Sven was probably right. Immediately after our parents were killed, they _could_ have tracked us down easily through police records, court records, plane tickets, social security numbers. "I think the question here isn't _how _they found you, but why they chose last night to do it." I pinched the bridge of my nose. A slight headache was starting to build up behind it as it became clear how vulnerable we really were. Sven looked at me sympathetically, but continued thinking aloud. "The men sent to kill your parents, were they looking for anything? Like a file or some kind of document." Ryan froze at the question. "Yeah," he answered stiffly. "They were tearing open drawers and flipping tables over in our parents' room..They probably did the same to the rest of the house."

Ryan had had a clear view of what they did to Dad in their room that night. I could barely stand having to see it again in my dream, but I couldn't imagine how difficult it was for him to try and recall it by will. These were memories that both of us had been trying to block out for the past two years. Having them resurface now was painful at best. Before Sven asked another question I quickly butt in. "We don't know if they found whatever they were searching for. The house was burned down before the police got there." Sven heard the almost desperate tone in my voice as I said that and glanced at Ryan's expression. My brother's brows were furrowed slightly as he tried to focus his attention on a bug on the windshield. Tension and unease were clear both our faces. Sven then nodded. "Okay, we'll talk about it later, then."

We drove on in silence through the desert, and then through Sonora. I stared out the window as the small city zoomed past us. Empty land became ranches, ranches became small towns, and small towns left nothing but land again. A couple of hours went by in the sweltering heat. Our clothes began to stick to us with sweat, and to make matters worse, the A/C decided to stop working. We stared in horror as it sputtered its last few puffs of cool, ventilated air. "NOOO!" Train cried. "Shouting isn't going to fix the damn thing! Quiet down!" Sven was especially irritable at this point. He'd even taken off his hat, revealing his spiky green hair. "Is there anything to drink?" Train asked. Sven sighed and tried to contain his annoyance. "Train..the cooler is just as empty as it was five minutes ago." "It wouldn't be if we stopped over in Sonora!" I closed my eyes to all the noise. The headache was getting worse with the heat and commotion of the car.

_Maybe I should take another nap. _My head slowly fell to my chest as I tried to give in to exhaustion. Suddenly, my head shot up to the cool sensation of water on my face. Eve was smiling at my expression. "Looked like you needed something to drink." I blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Thanks, I needed that." "Hey, aren't you going to share with us?" All three boys were staring hungrily at the bottled water in Eve's hand. She handed it over to me. "I've already had my drink." She glared at the three of them. "Whatever happened to ladies first?" Sven was ready to explode. "The gentleman's code is no to be abused to your advantage!" I laughed again. "Don't worry. We'll leave some for you guys."

I unscrewed the cap and water-falled a bit of the drink into my open mouth. Then, wiping my mouth, I passed the container to Ryan. "What about me?" Train whined next to me. I gave him a questioning look. "Somehow, I doubt that you'll leave enough for everyone else." Train looked almost heartbroken when I said that. "I just saved your life twice! Doesn't that count for anything?" Ryan skied a sip and passed the water to Sven. "Just wait your turn Train," I said calmly and leaned into my seat. The water had helped the headache, though the throbbing hadn't ceased completely.

Eve noticed and looked at me worriedly as Train grabbed for the drink from Sven. "Are you feeling okay?" I nodded. "I'm fine.""You don't look fine." Ryan turned to face the back hearing our conversation. "You okay, Sis?" I gave them both a small smile. "I'm okay, honest. My head's just hurting a bit." Ryan frowned, knowing my habit of hiding my troubles. Sven spoke up. "You probably just need a decent meal. We should be passing through Fort Stockton in a few minutes. I'll make a stop there. Besides, I think. It's about time you and Ryan changed into your wardrobes." I raised an eyebrow at how he'd said the last bit. "'Wardrobes'?" Train made a goofy grin, having finished the last of the water. "Since you'll be traveling with us _and_ trying to hide from whats-its-name. We figured you'd need to get a new look for the rest of the trip. We've got a whole new set of outfits for you two." He winked reassuringly at me. "Don't worry about it though. We're experts at disguise." That didn't quite put me at ease. I didn't like not being able to pick my own clothes.

A few minutes passed before we any sign of civilization turned up. Fort Stockton was a small town, an almost perfect picture of the cliché most people that came to mind when they imagined Texas. The streets were empty this early in the morning, giving the town an ominous feel as we exited the highway. This, however, didn't affect Train's enthusiasm when we parked in front of an IHOP by the side of the road. "FINALLY!" he shouted as he ran towards the air-conditioned building. Sven opened his door and walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk, pulling out two shopping bags, one white and one black. Eve and I climbed out of the back seat and Ryan made for the IHOP after Train. I looked at the bags, wondering what kind of clothes could possibly be inside. Sven waited patiently for me to looked up. "Shall we?" he asked, indicating to the door of the restaurant. I nodded, not wanting to stand in the heat all day. "Yes, we shall." We followed Sven to the door and Eve held it open for the man. Chills went up my spine as I heard the chime of a bell. _That sound._

I looked around for the source of the sound, half-thinking I was going back to that place in my dream. I caught a glimpse of the bell above the door. A dull silver, it hung above the door, giving an effervescent tinkling whenever a customer walked through the door. Eve stared at me in my antics as she waited for me to walk through. "Luna...are you coming?" I looked over at her and nodded quickly. "Yeah..yeah, I'm coming." I rubbed my forehead again, the headache seeming to intensify the closer I got to the door. _What the heck is this?_ I stepped over the threshold and into the shade of the building, silently gasped. Once I set foot in the building, the pain ceased as if the headache never existed. Eve followed after me. "Let's find a place to sit." I could tell she was concerned with how I was acting now, and I didn't protest.

The restaurant was empty except for us and one other customer. He sat at the breakfast bar up front, reading the local newspaper. He glanced up at our arrival. "What brings you city-slickers 'round here?" The man had a slight Texan accent as he spoke. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. His hair was salt-and pepper blonde, with spots of dark brown sprinkled here and there. He had on a wrinkled thin red button-up over a set of worn jeans and brown boots. I smiled politely. "We're just passing through, sir. Where is everyone? This place looks like a ghost town." He scoffed a bit and folded up his paper. "There haven't been many customers 'round here lately. Someone started talk that there was some kind of spirit here last night." Eve looked skeptically at the man. "Why would they think that?" "Was a full moon last night. One of the cooks heard some mysterious creature talking in the back when he was closing up shop." He stretched his tires legs and looked Eve in the eye. "You youngins wouldn't think nothing of it, the know-it-alls you are. Now, you two go on and join your friends. I'm sure you have more important things to do than listen to some silly gossip." He indicated towards the back of the room.

In a booth next to the window, Sven waved our way. Eve walked towards the booth as I turned to the man."Sorry if we disturbed you, sir." I bowed my head slightly. He smiled. "No worries. Travelers are welcome, what with business this slow. Besides, it's a pleasure speaking to such fine young ladies." He smiled and stood up to walk to the entrance of the kitchen. "I'll go tell the boys to fire up the oil. You and your friends ring me up when you're ready, ya' hear?" "Sure thing," I called back as he disappeared to the back of the restaurant. I reached the booth and sat myself down. "So you met Buck. Nice guy, huh?" I nodded. "Is he a friend of yours?" Sven leaned back and lit himself a long awaited cigarette. "We go back. He and I worked together a few times for the IBI." Ryan perked up. "You were part of the IBI?" It had been his dream as a little kid to work for the FBI and bring in bad guys. You could see Sven's pride as it puffed up. "Why yes, and I was one of the best in my field." I shook my head. _Typical boys._

I glanced around the room as Sven recounted the perils of working as an investigator. "Where's Train?" I asked, not checking or caring if I'd interrupted the two of them. Sven pointed his thumb towards the back of the room where an open doorway led to a refrigerated section.

Train was already attacking the refrigerators in the back, picking as many jugs of milk as he could off of the shelf. "Oh, and before I forget." He grabbed Ryan by the collar. "I told Train to wait there while Eve and I got you two dressed up." He started for the restroom door. "Us first, then you girls, got it?" Ryan tried to gouge his nails into the table. "Wait! I don't _want _to change my look. I _like my look_. Can't we think this through first?" Ryan, though, stood no chance to Sven's experience. "Kid, no clothes, no food. Now..Come..On!" Ryan's hands slipped from the table and they stumbled into the room with Train. "So, the bathroom's that way, I presume?" I asked Eve. She shrugged. "I guess so." "Those two never change." Buck chuckled from behind the counter as he dried a glass with a dish towel.

Sven stepped out of the restroom after a good thirty minutes. In the meantime, Eve and I had ordered a platter of fish and chips. Sven rubbed his hands together. "We came just in time to eat." "'We?'" I asked. Leaning back to check behind Sven. "Where's Ryan?" He glanced back toward the restroom. "What's taking him so long?" He went out of the room and knocked on the door, hard. "Hey kid, you done yet?" he called inside. "I'm not coming out!" Ryan shouted back_. Why doesn't he want to come out?_ Sven rapped against the door again. "Ryan, come on. We don't have time for this." "I said I'm not coming. Not in these clothes!" I headed towards the back room.. "Sven..what's he talking about?" Sven ignored me as he continued to knock furiously against the door.

Ryan finally opened the door a crack and peeked out. "Promise you won't laugh," he said in a small voice. I swear, this kid was impossible. "Promise." I put a hand over my heart to try and persuade him out.

Convinced, he swung the door open and inched himself out. My jaw dropped once I laid eyes on him. Last night, he'd looked..well, like _Ryan._ Jeans, blue printed T-shirt, unkempt hair and an old grey duffel bag hanging over his shoulders. But in front of me stood a neat, groomed, and, dare I say it, _hot_ version of my little brother. He wore a plain light blue tee under a green button-up with jeans ripped at the bottom edges. His hair was cut shorter and spiked up in the front. Two small pieces of silver glinted off his left ear – a small hoop hung from his ear lobe and a little bit behind it was a cuff earring with a metal feather dangling from it. I was speechless, shocked at Ryan's complete transformation.

Ryan shrank back once he saw my expression, though Sven blocked him from going back into the bathroom. Eve came up from behind me and looked him head to toe, assessing his new getup. "It'll do," she concluded. "It looks different enough from his usual appearance." Sven looked at me expectantly. "So what do you think?" Ryan's eyes watered in desperation as he looked longingly at his hiding place. I sighed. "Well, it doesn't look _bad,_" I finally answered.

Sven looked at the three of us. "Eve, help Luna change out of her clothes." He handed her the single black bag that remained. I would have protested, had my clothes not still been covered in garbage stains from the dumpster. I sighed resignedly. "_Fine." _"Glad to see you'll cooperate. I was afraid you'd put up a fight, too." "I know how to pick my fights," I replied. "Save some food for when we get back." Sven nodded before hurrying for the booth.

Eve looked over at me and smiled again as Ryan walked up to us. "You really don't think it looks bad?" he asked me. He looked uncertain of what I would say, knowing my habit for teasing him. I winked at him. "It really does suit you," I said. "I just can't believe you put on earrings, _again."_ He reached up to feel his ear and grimaced. "I didn't think I'd be using these holes in my ear for a while." Eve looked at him surprised. "You had your ears pierced before?" I chuckled as he nodded slowly and regrettably. "Hurt like hell, too," he muttered."It's a long story," I told her, patting her on the shoulder. Eve was still confused, but she left it at that.

She lifted the bag that Sven had given her. "You want to see what Rinslet chose for you?" she asked. "Is 'Rinslet' the one who chose Ryan's clothes?" Eve nodded. I glanced at the bag warily, scared of what I might find inside. Even if Ryan's new clothes looked nice, it was _way_ out of his comfort zone. I had a feeling my outfit wouldn't be much different. "Well..let's get this over with quickly," I said. Eve took me by the hand and led me to the restroom. "What about me?" Ryan asked. He didn't like the idea of waiting at the table alone with Sven. As if out of no where, Train put his arm around Ryan's shoulders. "You can hang out with me," he said with a goofy grin.

I'd forgotten he was even there. I checked the back shelves where I'd last seen him. A dozen milk bottles lay strewn in front of it. "How much milk can you drink?" I asked as Eve sweat dropped when she saw the pile. "Just enough to keep me healthy," he replied cheekily. He looked at Ryan and pulled a deck of playing cards out of his pocket. "Up for a game of Joker?" he asked enthusiastically. "Umm..sure," Ryan answered, stunned at this guy's sudden appearance behind him. "Aren't you going to wait with Sven?" I asked curiously. "Nah." He winked at me. "I'm curious to see what Rinslet picked out for you."

I instantly knocked him upside his head, still a bit unsettled from waking up on his lap. "OW! What was that for?" "No weird thoughts about me, ya' hear?" Ryan and Eve sweat dropped. "Train, you have no skills with girls whatsoever," Eve muttered. Train looked at us, frustrated. "I wasn't having any weird thoughts! I'm just curious! What's with you women and jumping to the wrong conclusions?" I lifted my knee and crushed his toes, hard. "_That _was for insulting women," I said as Train hopped on his good foot. "Why do I have a feeling you're going to make a habit out of this?" Ryan asked as he watched Train's dance around the small store. "I'm simply establishing my position as a liberal feminist," I justified myself before heading over to the bathroom. "Now let me change so we can eat."Eve followed after me, bag in hand. The room was small, holding a single toilet, but it would work as a changing room. I heard a 'swish' and looked behind me. "So," Eve started as she lifted the blades at the ends of her hair. "What kind of hairstyle do you prefer, short or long?"

After about fifteen minutes, Eve walked out of the bathroom. "Luna's done," she said to the three boys playing cards on the ground. Buck had joined their game, not having much else to do. Eve turned around as I followed after her out of the dim bathroom. As I stepped into the light of the room, Ryan and Train were stunned. Buck whistled. "There's a keeper," he commented. I blushed under their gazes. "Can I kill the woman that chose these clothes?" I mumbled.

I had never been into the mainstream craze over skinny jeans or tight clothes. Good old boot-cuts suited me fine. But this outfit was the exact opposite. Ridiculously tight, it hugged my body like a second skin and felt as if it was sucking the life out of me. I wore a strap-less, sky blue tank top, that was an uncomfortable two inches from being too low at the neck, under a tiny half jacket that reached right above the small of my back. Its right side was made of a soft black fabric, the left a white reflection. From my hips down, black skinny jeans molded out the curves of my legs with a black, silver-buckled belt pulled around it. Over the jeans, high-heeled leather boots covered to just a few inches below my knees. My hair was now a little below shoulder length, layered and curling a bit from being tied in a braid for so long. Adorning my neck hung a dog-tag, complimenting the tiny silver crescent studs at my ears.

"You look fine," Eve said smiling, proud of the work she'd done on my hair. Ryan nodded in agreement. "It suits you." Train remained silent. "You don't have anything to say?" Eve asked. Train looked at her with a deadpan expression. "If I insult her, she'll try to kill me, and if I compliment her, she'll hit me. So, what am I supposed to say?" He glared at me, still sore about getting his toe stepped on. I smiled at him cheerily. "Glad we have a mutual understanding." I looked at the others. "Now, let's eat!" Eve nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go pick a drink. Do you want anything?" I glanced at the fridges. "I guess I'll get...the watermelon juice." Train scrunched up his nose in disgust as we made our purchase.. "_Watermelon?"_ Ryan shrugged. "It's been her favorite since we were kids. I don't get it either." "Hey, watermelon is awesome!" I said defensively. "Healthy, sweet, juicy...I don't get why _you_ guys don't like it." Train looked at me skeptically. "Milk is better than watermelon juice any day." Ryan looked at me warily. "Sis, don't start – " "Says who?" I was not going to take an insult to watermelon silently. "Says me. What good is watermelon juice? It doesn't build strong bones or muscles like dairy can." "Yeah, and milk is able to keep you from getting a heart attack. And I don't see any vitamin C in milk!" Eve and Ryan watched hopelessly as we continued to argue.

"Are they really fighting over which drink is better?" Eve asked. "Yup." "Should we just leave them like that?" "Yup." She turned to look at Ryan, then back at the two of us. "You three are very similar." Ryan thought about that. "I guess you're right, huh?" He was quiet for a second more, then laughed. Eve cocked her head. "What's so funny?" He smiled at her. "If we're so much like Train, imagine what the rest of this trip is going to be like." She contemplated over it. "Well, it'll certainly be interesting." Ryan laughed again. We continued like until we got to the table. Then we started fighting over the fish.


	9. Not on hiatus

I AM NOT PUTTING THIS STORY ON HIATUS! But I wanted to let anyone who _might_ be waiting know that I won't be able to post up my chapter today or tomorrow. This week has been _crazy_ with tests, statistics homework, and projects...and statistics homework..:'(...I wasn't able to write or type out my ideas for the chapter and am far from finished. I apologize for the delay, and I hope everyone in America enjoys Superbowl Weekend; I can't wait to see the commercials..:D (truly one of the biggest highlights of the show for anyone unfamiliar with it...companies spend boat loads of money on them. If you want, look up the Volkswagen commercial called the Bark Side. Super cute!) I also hope everyone else around the world enjoys their day as well!

Hasta Luego! Until next time! -loba_de_luna667


	10. Chapter 9 Part One

Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and my plot. Otherwise, I do not own any of the cities named in this or previous chapters, nor do I own any of the characters from Black Cat. Oh, almost forgot that I don't own IHOP, as tasty as its food is.

A/N: Sorry that this chapter came in late (again -_-;) and/or seems messier/worse than usual. After two long weeks of tests, homework, and crushes, (o.o..don't tell anyone; that's a secret) it's a relief to sit down and lose myself in typing. Thank you for the reviews! Even if they're only a few, they are extremely encouraging...:D

Chapter 9 (Part One, left hanging so that I could finish the whole section.)

Luna's POV

We finally stopped bickering, allowing for a relatively peaceful and _extremely_ delicious brunch. After the fish, we ate omelets, pancakes, quesadillas, and a couple of waffle sandwiches. When I finished my plate, I leaned back in contentment. I was filled to the brim with enough food to last the rest of the trip and then some. Train stretched and sat back in his seat as well. "That..was..delicious," he managed to get out. My eyes widened at the stacks of plates laid out in front of him. His capacity for food ceased to amaze me. Everyone else seemed equally satisfied with the meal. Seeing that we all were just about done, Buck walked up to our table. "Y'all ready to pay for your order." Sven nodded as Buck pulled a small notebook and pen out of his shirt pocket and scribbled down our bill. He than ripped the page out and passed it to Sven. Sven's eyes bugged out when he saw the total. He glanced up at Buck nervously. "Umm...you wouldn't be willing to give an old friend a discount, would you?" Buck chuckled and shook his head. "Sven, you and I both know my policy. You're paying, fair and square." Sven reluctantly pulled out a checkbook. "Darn, I never had to pay this much before.." he muttered as he wrote out the payment. Finally, he gave it to Buck. Buck took it happily and gave us a charming smile. "Much obliged to do business with ya', and I hope y'all enjoy yourselves in Fort Stockton."

Sven sighed and got up from his seat. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought we told you that we're just passing through." He looked up at the manager. "In fact, Train and I wanted to ask you a favor." Buck didn't look surprised. "I just about figured as much. I'm guessin' this has something to do with these kids you brought in with ya'?" He indicated towards Ryan and me. "Guessed right," Sven confirmed. "They'll be tagging along with us for a while, so we're going to need some supplies for them." He paused and looked carefully at Buck. "I presume you haven't given up your hobby for inventing have you?" A glint came into Buck's eyes. "I see..." He checked outside all the windows before locking the door and turning off the neon OPEN sign that hung next to it. "There won't be much business today anyway." Then he walked up to the door that led to the kitchen. "Hey Katie! We've got guests!" He turned to face us and he winked at Sven. "You remember Katie, right?" Sven smiled. "'Course I do. You two were so lovey-dovey, it made me sick." He glanced at the gold band around Buck's ring finger and shook his head, chuckling. "I should have known you two got hitched after you left." Buck started stacking up the plates from our table. "Y'all go ahead while I clean up here. You know how riled up she gets when you keep her waiting." "Don't I know it," he mumbled. We all followed after Sven into the kitchen. "She'll be in the first room on your right!" Buck called. "Can't miss it!"

The door led directly behind the counter. As we kept going, we walked into the kitchen, filled with the smell of grease and egg. The vents were still running, trying to get rid of the lingering steam and smoke from the cooking. Two rows of countered stoves and deep-fat fryers ran lengthwise through the room. Just before it, a space between them and the wall led to thick oak door. Well, I thought it was oak, from bis and pieces of wood I could see beneath the layers of posters, magazines, and newspaper clippings pasted onto the door. At first glance, the collection looked like a simple insane mess someone decided to put together, but as my eyes followed the lines of text, I saw that it wasn't a mess at all, but rather a huge collage.

The various colors meshed together to shape out different animals against a landscape of paper trees, pasted sky, and magazine grass. In black-and-white text, I could distinguish the silhouette of a small cat with its tail curled at its feet. Deep blue cut-outs – made up of photos from snow-covered mountains, dark forests, and the night sky – formed the figure of a wolf howling as it sat at the bottom of the display. Pieces of cloud fluff took the form of a tiny white mouse, scurrying behind the cat. To the right of the three, a golden lion lounged in the grass, his head held high in nobility. Pictures of gold and treasures of Egypt gathered to from his body, his head formed by golden waves of wheat. A cheetah sat behind the lion, upright and attentive as it faced us newcomers. Its face was covered by the picture of a dust-storm, its body made up of, strangely enough, pictures of bronze and gold medals and trophies.

A former student of different arts, I was intrigued by the piece, wondering how much effort had gone into putting the whole project together. I didn't think much more of it, though, as it swung back, startling me out of my daze. I'd forgotten that I was staring at a door the whole time. We were greeted by a red-headed woman in an apron, jeans, and a cream blouse. Her waist length hair was a tad ruffled here and there, but that simply added to her energetic aura. Everything about her made her seem bright and peppy. She smiled brightly at us, and, once she laid eyes on Sven, instantly pulled him into a hug. "Long time no see!" she chirped.

Sven, taken by surprise, gave a simple "Hey!" The red-head looked up at us and gave a small wave to Train. "'Afternoon, Train. How is that Hades of yours?" Train nodded appreciatively. "Shooting fine thanks to your extra parts. Works like a charm ever since we passed through last." She gave him a thumbs-up sign. "No problem! If it ever needs any more repairs, y'all are welcome to stop by for repairs again. That gun there is a piece of art." She let go of Sven and walked up to Eve. "How are you doing, Miss Eve? Were you able to finish that book I gave you?" Eve gave a small, somewhat shy smile. "I'm doing well. And thank you again for the book. I enjoyed it tremendously." The woman smiled "Glad to hear." She then turned to face us. "And who are these two? New sweepers?" Sven straightened out his clothes as he explained. "These are friends of ours. We're helping them out for a while, and..." He looked at Train. "Yes..we plan on helping them become sweepers and letting them join us afterwords."

"Then introductions are in order."The lady stuck her hand out towards Ryan. I am Mrs. Katie Davis. You can call me Katie for short." We were both a bit taken aback by how forward she was with everyone. She acted more like someone our age than an adult woman, let alone one that's married. Ryan slowly, but surely took her hand and shook it. "My name is Ryan. It's nice to meet you." He gave a polite smile. "Nice to meet you. You have a firm handshake. I like that in a man." She winked and Ryan, not able to help himself, blushed. She giggled before turning to face me "And who might you be?" "My name is Luna," I said politely.

She raised her eyebrows a tad and looked at me curiously. "'Luna,'...like the moon." The way she pronounced my name made it sound..different. It gave an essence of mystery to the word. She grinned warmly at me. "It's a beautiful name." Then, she blinked, taking a second glance at my face. "Your eyes are beautiful, too," she commented thoughtfully. "Like pools of pale moonlight," she said wistfully.

"Thank you," I said, a bit uneasily. Though I was used to people reacting to my light aqua eyes, they were quite an unusual color when compared with my oriental appearance, this was a strange thing for someone to say. I tried to make nothing of it. _She's just a bit forward, that's all. It was just a tactless remark._ Yet in the back of my head, a memory of the dream's voice echoed. _Hitomi-san._ The way she had said it made it sound as if it meant something more meaningful and mysterious, the same way Katie was speaking about my eyes . _Hitomi: a name commonly given to a child as a compliment to her beautiful eyes. _I remembered the definition by heart when I looked up the meaning of my real name. _Such a small connection is nothing to worry about. How could she know about the voice in my dream? _But wasn't it just moments ago that the bell at the entrance had sounded exactly the same as the one from my dream. Buck had even mentioned something about spirits lingering inside the building. _Don't be paranoid, Luna. It was just a dream. These are Sven and Train's friends._ I couldn't comfort myself out of my worries, so I avoided them for the time being.

Katie was unfazed at the hesitation in my voice and continued with her antics. She noticed how closely Ryan and I stood together. "Are you related?" Ryan nodded, a bit surprised she'd picked up on that. "Siblings." "Oooh," she said as she nodded. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet both of you." She gave a small curtsy, elegantly pulling an invisible skirt behind her and then quickly looked up again. "Now, come in. Y'all came to talk business, right Sven? There's little else you come 'round here for anyway." Sven rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You don't have to put it that way." Katie turned and raised an eyebrow. "So you're not here for a favor?" Sven sweat-dropped. "We are," he admitted sullenly. Katie laughed. "Don't worry about it Sven. What are friends for, right? Besides, the criminal underworld doesn't exactly give people a break now, does it?" Sven smiled, reassured. "Thanks Katie." She raised her hand in front of her. "Hold your thanks until after I hear what you need, alright? I can't guarantee that we'll be able to help you." She motioned for us to follow her into the room.

The room had a fair amount of space. It was about half the size of the dining area. The back wall was lined with three bookcases. Two were filled with books, while the third held cases upon cases upon cases. A few more chairs sat against the side walls under frames that held photos and paintings. I read the signature at the bottom corner of one of them as I got myself a seat. _KGD_ was initial in slanted cursive. The paintings were amazingly detailed, clearly picturing various natural landscapes. A chestnut horse and her colt drinking water from a trough. A bobcat peeking through the tall grass. A wolf staring at us from a distance, lit by the full moon. Katie noticed me staring at the wolf. "That's one of my favorite paintings. Took me forever to get a good pose from that wolf, though." "How?" I asked, amazed. Painting scenery was hard enough, but to paint a living, breathing wild animal in front of you was close to impossible. "You didn't take a photo of it and just paint it from that?" She shook her head. "How I painted that one is a secret," she said, holding a finger up to her lips. "Let's just say it helps to be friendly with animals."

I looked back at the picture. What caught me in the painting was the wolf itself. Whiter than the snow around her, the she-wolf seemed wise and strong. She seemed to be staring straight at the viewer, trying to tell me something. I looked at her eyes, how the moonlight shone off of it, and reached up for my own. The wolf's eyes were enchanting, almost the same color as mine, reflecting silver where the light hit it while the rest was an almost white light blue. Up until then, I was still tense, suspicious of this overly friendly person, but her wolf put me at ease. Its expression was calming, though stern. Trusting and watching protectively over whoever was on the other side of the easel. They made the whole picture captivating and ambiguous. "They say the eyes are the windows to the soul," Katie said, breaking me out of my trance-like state. "Yeah,.." I murmured as I lost myself in the picture. The wolf's eyes seemed to draw me in closer. _The landscape is so vivid..It's almost like the whole thing is alive._

The rest of the world seemed to slip away, leaving only me and the wolf. The way the wolf held itself, I could feel the snow beneath its bare feet as if they were my own, hear the wind whisper its tragic melody against my ears, breathe in the icy cold air. My fur bristled as I sensed an oncoming gust of piercing sleet. Far away, the sister clan howled in salute to the moon along with nature. Pointing my snout towards the sky, I saw the pure white circle, surrounded by swirls of clouds in the night-sky that only emphasized its light. My lips parted, and I joined the beautifully haunting chorus of voices, cuing the rest of my pack to join as well. We honored the moon in its full majesty. The white world listened as we sang, and all were made aware of the presence and power of our kind – the wolves, connected by both spirit and blood. We were inseperable and would always protect each other, even in the face of death.

Finally, our voices died down, leaving the sky silent. Even the wind had subsided. All was still and peaceful...or so it seemed. A figure shifted in the darkness of the forest further down the mountain. He seemed tense, though there was no scent of fear in the air. At the sound of its footsteps through the snow, the others turned their heads in the direction of the intruder. They remained quiet, instinctively keeping from drawing attention towards themselves, though it was clear that whatever was moving was coming towards us. As it moved in closer, I could make out the silhouette of a human. A low rumble began in the caverns of my throat. Visitors were seldom welcome here, let alone the likes of greedy humans.


	11. NOW on hiatus:'please forgive me

Though it's a bit late to say this, I am now declaring this story on HIATUS. My brain slammed into writer's block on this a long time ago, but I promise to come back. I keep hoping I might jump out of writer's block in a few days with how unpredictable my brain and my life have been lately, but since that wasn't the case, I'mreallysorryIhaven'twritteninsolongIdidn'thaveachoicePleasedon'tleavepleasedon'tleavePLEASEDON'TLEAVE! I wanted to put this up since the longer I put off announcing this, the guiltier I've been feeling. Anyway, the latest you'll have to wait for HIMTC is summer break, God willing, which should start June 1st down here in Houston, though there is a good chance I'll post up a new chapter this coming week (Thank You God for giving the underclassmen state testing! Ameen.) In the meantime, don't let me keep you from enjoying your lives out there (e_e as if I'm _that_ important) and thanks to anyone who actually took the time to stick around and read my story so far!

I'm working on another story in the Treasure Planet section, if anyone's interested! Similar tone, kinda similar plot, same genre, different characters and setting, and with very awkward diction as writing out thoughts like an Englishman (or woman) is quite new to me..o.0 Though, not to toot my own horn, but I think it's coming along pretty well.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Okay, from now on, no promises...that is concerning chapter post deadlines. My life seems destined to be anything but normal, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's never a dull moment; I worry sometimes that my newlywed husband will be able to handle it, but he asked for it after all! ^_^ So what can I say? My list of excuses this time include graduation, college, getting engaged then married, and lots of other details that I'd best not trouble you with. Everyone here is waiting to hear about Luna and the Black Cat! I'm still a little rusty having come back to this after so long, but I'll give my all nonetheless.

Hopefully, going for this rather than avoiding it will get me out of my writing slump. One of the HUGE factors in my coming back, though, is none other than _**YOU**_! If I hadn't had so many reminders of people actually still reading this and following it, I may not have come back to typing this up. **_So give yourselves a pat on the back as you read this latest chapter_**, dubbed Chapter 10 considering the time gap since the last one. WARNING: THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AT ANYTHING **_CLOSE_ **TO A ROMANTIC SCENE. It's mostly mental processes, and this is a pretty minor incident in the story. Constructive criticism is welcome. Also, what may seem a bit trollish of the office scene was really done to speed things along with the plot.

I do not own the Black Cat manga, anime, or any of their elements. I also do not own a single part of IHOP unless the crepes I ate months ago count.

Chapter 10

Luna's POV

Looking back, I guess I could have reacted better than I had when I finally woke up, but I'll never

admit that to anyone, even after all these years. I still haven't lived down Ryan's teasing about it, but what would anyone else have done in my position? My first waking thoughts were that Ryan and I were being hunted down, and there I was unconscious in a beat-up car with a strange guy staring down at me. The scream came instinctively, but my brain needed a little more effort to recall the self-defense techniques I'd memorized for such a situation. I shoved my wrist into Train's face as I nearly kicked the life out of his gut at the same time. I pinned him against the window and would have gouged his eyes out if I hadn't noticed Ryan staring at us wide-eyed from the other side of the window.

That millisecond of distraction had been the difference between Train and a blind, possibly castrated gunman.

My grip on Train loosened as I tried to get a better view of Ryan out the window. I didn't notice Train's body go slack and lean against me as I continued gaping at seeing Ryan on two wheels.

Ryan was on a bike, a real bike. We had to sell his dirt bikes when our parents died, and I couldn't afford getting him a motorcycle after he got his license, let alone the gas every week. It was just the kind he'd gawk at, too. A sleek Japanese model, hot-red with gold lining and a matching helmet and suit to boot.

Sven slowed the car to a stop on the side of the road, and Ryan followed. I'd been deaf to our driver's protests while I was beating the crap out of Train. He turned to face me, not at all worried about his partner. "Well, glad to see you're as lively as always," he said. Glancing at Train, he added, "Although, it would be nice not to have someone unconscious in the back all the time." I looked down at Train. His head had landed perfectly on my shoulder, his face angled towards mine. The beginning of a bruise was already growing between his brows, though if you ignored that and the drool, he looked...handsome. Fairly chiseled features, with such a peaceful expression. Something inside my chest went soft seeing him this close asleep. His hair was soft against my shoulder and smelled musky, yet somewhat sweet. I wouldn't mind if he leaned against my shoulder a bit more so I could feel how soft his hair was against my cheek, and his scent wasn't half ba-

My face heated up when I realized what I was thinking, and I instantly backed away from Train, realizing how I must have looked. His body bounced against the seat facedown. "S-SORRY!" I shouted, trying to erase any evidence of what I'd been thinking. Next to Sven, Eve, who hadn't glanced up from the book in her lap once, waved it off. "He was asking for it," she said coolly. "I bet he was doing something weird, like staring at you in your sleep, right?" That didn't help beat down the color in my face. I nodded silently for fear my voice would squeak and give me away. Sven gave me a funny look before Ryan opened the back door. Surprise was plain on his face as he took in the scene. One glance at my face, and surprise became confusion. "What were you guys doing?" he asked me. I avoided his gaze and answered. "I-it was self-defense." He raised his eyebrows, looking back down at Train. "Oh. When I was on my bike...I thought -"

I glared daggers at my brother. "He startled me in my sleep. That's _it._" I spoke with such finality, that no one dared question me further. No doubt Ryan would ask later, but for now, enough was enough. He turned to Sven and changed the subject as if nothing happened. I allowed myself a sigh of relief once their attention was averted. "So, why'd we stop?"

Sven thumbed his friend, who was groaning back into consciousness. "To make sure _he_ was alive, and..." Turning to me he continued, "To finally let your sister get some target practice."

Train sat up, slowly, rubbing his temple and muttering something about a 'Crazy girl,' as I recalled what had happened back at the IHOP.

_We'd gone into Katie's office, and then I saw her painting on the wall. Something in me was a bit unsettled about that detail, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Ignoring the feeling, I went past that, remembering what had happened next. _

_Katie had pulled a switch while I was examining the painting, and sent a set of stairs down by my feet._

_She looked to Sven and furrowed her brow. "I don't let newbies in. You do remember that, don't you?" Sven nodded, his expression unreadable. "Eve, could you take Luna and Ryan back to the car?" Though it came out as a question, there was no denying this was an order. Ryan seemed a bit put out. "Then why did we come here in the first place?"_

_Katie gave him a teasing smile. "I needed to get y'all's sizes first before I could find something that suited you. I've seen you now, so no need to worry anymore." With that, Eve pulled Ryan out by the collar. As I followed, Sven called, "Luna, keep an eye on your brother. No funny business!" _

"_Will do!" I called over my shoulder. _

_When we got to the car, Ryan and I took the back seats and Eve sat up front. "Promise no funny business?" I asked him. "Promise," he replied. Satisfied, I leaned my back against a window and let my eyes droop again; a nap without any nightmares would be a nice change for once. "Sven'll kill you if you try to make a move on her," I mumbled, my eyes half-closed. The last image I see before drifting off is of a very red-faced little brother._

Ryan's motorcycle stood outside against a backdrop of desert and a few tiny mountains farther away. "So that's Ryan's weapon?" I asked skeptically, wondering how a bike could be considered a weapon. "He supposed to run over everyone that tries to shoot him?"

Sven shook his head. "_That_ is equipped with a state-of-the-art arsenal in league with the Air Force's tech. Of all the things Katie chose, she went and chose the most expensive thing she had." A small wave of gloom seemed to roll off Sven's shoulders at the thought of the price. He shook himself out of it and looked to me again. "He tested it when you were asleep. Worked like a charm."

Trying not to sound greedy, I had to ask the obvious question. "Sooo...what's..my weapon?"

Sven looked to Train. He put his tanned hand down and looked to me with utmost seriousness. "We felt it was best to choose something suited to your background," he began, looking me straight in the eye. "So from now on, you shall be equipped with a cast iron frying pan." Silence ensued as I took in what he said.

I tried to word my shock into something that sounded like gratitude in my head when a mischievous smile spread across Train's face. "Just kidding. I had to get back at you somehow for that wake up call." A small flame of anger sparked inside me. "And just what were _you _doing when I woke up, huh?! I wouldn't have hit you if you weren't leaning over me like some stalker!"

Train gave me an annoyed look. "I was just trying to get your seatbelt on."

Eve turned around. "We told you to do that when we left an hour ago," she pointed out. "And I saw you staring at her from the rear-view mirror." Train's cheeks took on a pinker hue before he quickly got out of the car. "Whatever...I'm setting up the cans, okay?" He went to the trunk of the car, not waiting for a reply. I could feel a blush creeping up to my ears again when Train quickly came back to the open door. Avoiding my gaze, he handed me a small blue jewelry box. "This is yours," he said quickly and left.

Blinking and trying to get any distraction I could from the nervous feeling in my stomach, I lifted the lid of the box and looked inside. Against black velvet lining was an intricate set of azure handled daggers, each wrapped in elegant thin silver vines that ended at the guard with two great leaves sticking out on both sides. The six were arranged from short to long then to identically short, all the same width. The largest of the knives had an engraving scrawled along the blade's spine.

Emitte lucem et veritatem. _Send out light and truth._

I gently lifted the beauty in my hand, testing my grip on the weight. I nearly gasped at how perfect it felt in my hands; it was a missing part of my whole. I suddenly felt the urge to stab it at something, _anything, _just as long as I could feel the satisfying pleasure of the blade piercing through it. "Ahem," Sven cleared his throat. I looked up to everyone's uneasy expressions; my hunger for using the daggers must have been plain as day. "How about you try those out for a spin?" Sven asked. I nodded eagerly and got out the car the way Train had, hugging the dagger and box to my chest.

In the sweltering heat of the day, there was no one in sight for miles around. Train stood a good twenty yards in front of the car with his hands crossed in front of him. Any sign of his earlier unrest had vanished and he looked care-free as always. "So who's up for training?!" he shouted. Behind him were a pile of all sorts of equipment. First and foremost was a pyramid of tin cans. Behind that were bowling pins, tennis balls, golf balls, and an old tire. I raised my hand, or rather my dagger automatically, jumping up and down. "ME, ME, ME!" _I_ couldn't even understand my enthusiasm, and I could only imagine Ryan's expression behind me. Train, however, was unperturbed. "That's the spirit!" he said, smiling and giving my joy to play with the sharp objects a thumbs-up. He walked towards us and pointed at a rock directly in front of the car. "Stand there!" he commanded and jogged towards me. "I forgot to give you this," he said, smiling. I was too excited to take note of how unusual his courtesy was. I gladly took the holster he pulled from the trunk of the car. Train watched as I gleefully put all the daggers in their rightful pockets and fastened the soft onyx leather around my thigh. It was a perfect fit, even over the jeans, with sapphires perfectly embedded over each dagger in a neat set of lines. I looked eagerly up at my teacher. "What do I have to do?"

Train smiled and turned my head in the direction of the cans. "Your goal is to get a hole into each can," he instructed. He gestured to my holster. "Each of those gems will recall their corresponding dagger once you tap them. Tapping it twice activates the blades' hidden magnets if you want to have them slip out of the cans."

"Got it," I said quickly before backing away from Train and pulling out one of the smallest blades in my set. I spun it in the air a few times, getting used to the lighter feel compared to the largest of the daggers. Sven came around next to me and tried to give me a few pointers about knife throwing. "Throw it straight across from your throwing arm," he said, demonstrating. "Kinda' like you're going to chop it against a really tall piece of wood. And don't flick your wrist." I put one foot behind me as I prepared to throw the first dagger. Holding it by the handle, I pulled my arm behind me and swung. The dagger was a streak of light and instantly hit the top can, dead center. I grinned madly. "I did it!" I cheered. Sven smirked in approval. "Katie sized you up perfectly," he noted. Train leaned his weight to the side, eyes closed. "Nice aim rookie," he scoffed, clearly unimpressed. Hearing him, my hand stopped midway from the empty pouch's gem. "_Nice?" _I asked, taking the bait. "What do _you_ suggest I try?"

He eyed me smugly. "I bet you couldn't even get two of those cans if they were moving," he teased. Oh, he was in for it then; I gave him a smug smile. "I'll take that wager. If you lose, you drink my last bottle of watermelon juice for dinner." Train visibly shuddered at the thought. Once he recovered, he had a scheming smile on his face. "_Fine. _If I win_,_ you're making _whatever_ I ask for throughout dinner." I froze at the prospect. I'd be cooking up until the morning for the guy. I gulped down my fear and put on my game face. "Deal!" _I am NOT losing!_

On the sidelines, Eve, Ryan, and Sven had shrunk away from the scene. Our auras were overwhelmingly heated, threatening to pull in anyone remotely close enough. "Just to make things clear," Ryan called warily. "None of us are taking sides or anything. We'll just watch from here."

Neither of us looked up from one another. Train pulled Hades out of his holster, and I tapped my gem twice, pulling the dagger back to my hand and pushing the pierced can behind the remaining nine cans. Train walked over to my left. "When I count to three, I'm sending these scraps flying. Ready?"

I nodded, fingers humming at the pommel of my largest dagger. "1...,2...,3!" I heard a million shots in one as the cans seemed to jump out of their places all at once. They'd all disappeared. I glanced upwards, the only possible place they'd be. I unfocused my eyes and watched the cans fall before refocusing on the select cans I hoped to get. Electricity flowed through my arms as I threw my knives like my life depended on it. Pull, swing, pull swing. It didn't matter which arm I was even using, so long as I got those cans. Within seconds, my blades and the cans had reached the ground. Panting from the adrenaline of the moment, I jogged over to where the cans lay. I examined the pile of metal, searching for my daggers. Train came up beside me, and looked through the mess. Finally, one of us smiled.

Sven came to see the results for himself, then whistled. "I've gotta hand it to ya, Luna. You're dangerous with daggers." I stood up. "Thanks Sven!" I said cheerfully. He turned to Train, who hadn't moved since he saw the cans. "Well, what do you say, Train? Did we get ourselves a decent sweeper?"

Train responded by standing up and walking up to me. With an air of respect, he offered me his hand and smiled, not as a joke, but as to a partner. "Great game, Luna Davis." I gladly took his hand and shook, feeling as if I'd passed an initiation. I returned the smile. "The pleasure was mine, Train...?" He'd never told me his last name up until then. "Heartnet." He finished. "Then the pleasure was mine, Train Heartnet." I smirked. "It's almost a pity I have to punish you now." Train's face wasn't visible under his gloom before I turned away.

Train's POV

I watched her back as she walked off, tapping each of the buttons on her holster twice. Behind us, her daggers left their arranged places and flew in her direction. She caught them all with ease, three in each hand, and slipped them in her holster. "That girl's really something, huh?" I asked Sven. He snorted. "Unless all women can get two hits on the same flying can, and then another three on the second. You were really giving her a run for her money, too." He pulled out a cigarette and lighter, taking a breather with the rare chance he had. I pretended I couldn't see him eyeing me from under his hat. Looking up at the sky, he said. "You know, with enough practice, I think she might even get up to your level."

"We both know I'm in a league of my own," I said patiently. It wasn't arrogance, but a hard-earned fact. Sven let out a breath of smoke before he replied. "Whatever you say buddy, but she's definitely in your league when it comes to looks."

My ears itched at what Sven had said out of the blue. I quickly glanced over at the car where the others were looking at Luna's set. "You planned that didn't you?" I mumbled quickly. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked away. "Train, please. You're acting worse than Ryan. Just admit you like her."

"It's nothing. I admit, her outfit's...fitting, but that's it." I looked at her again. She was laughing at something Eve had said, her cheeks the slightest bit flushed. "It must be to get the Black Cat flustered," Sven countered. "You know, she likes you, too."

"Somehow, I doubt that," I said, counting how many times she'd attacked me so far. "Besides that, I never even said I liked her." Sven still didn't seem convinced. I looked back at him. "It's just a spur of the moment thing. And now's not exactly the best time for either of us to get involved with anyone-"

"Except each other," Sven interrupted. "In a little over a day, she and her brother will be sweepers like us, and they're trusting _us _to help them out." Sven gave me a knowing look. "You should know better than anyone here that you don't delay things like this, no matter the reason. Before you know it, you might be too late."

I stayed silent for a while. What had happened with Saya...I didn't want to see that a second time around. But...watching Luna laugh and smile, I couldn't bring myself to risk destroying that either. She was cute, a great cook, independent, caring, and an excellent marksman, but did I _really_ feel something as deep as love for her? Maybe she just reminded me of Saya, and I was confusing comfort with something else. And what would she do if I said I loved her after just a few days? Panic? Leave? I shook my head. "I don't want to give her any more to worry about," I said finally, allowing myself a smile as I watched Luna break out into laughter again. Silently, I promised myself to protect Luna, whatever my feelings were for her. _For now, this is enough for the both of us._

"Hey Sven! When are we stopping for dinner tonight?! I want to make sure the cooler keeps Train's juice cool 'til then!"

_For now, this is _definitely _enough._

* * *

><p>So what did you think? As I slowly write this, I'm hoping I think of more opportunities to up the heat in this lukewarm affair. Plus, I haven't forgotten Ryan and Eve. Until next time (and who know when that'll be? -_-; i HOPE to get another chapter done by the end of this week, but we'll see.)<p> 


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